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#it could've been longer and i still have stuff to say but i'm tired
bean-spring · 1 year
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My take on 2x06 & jealous Brett because I just remembered I have social media and I can tell this stuff to people other than my fiance
Inside job s2 spoilers / Breagan my beloved / PLEASE DO NOT REPLY WITH HATE i can't stand negativity
- My overall take because I am a very organized person (I am not)
Whether I liked the episode or not really depends on the actual meaning behind it. The plot and structure were excellent! Ron and Brett's little rivalry was hilarious and I felt Reagan's anxiety all the damn time. I really enjoyed it and I always appreciate Andre's screentime <3 However, there is some stuff that just... Doesn't make sense? The ending is what I would call... Not rushed, per se, but forced.
I found the episode funny and cool (and stressful if you relate to Reagan or Brett in any way) and really worth it! But that's it. It's like they were trying to build a really sad and shocking climax for Reagan's relationship with Ron, but using a filler episode as the conductor. The whole episode focuses on Brett and his negative feelings towards Ron to end up with Ron and Reagan taking a break from each other. Which is not a bad way to focus on the story, but I feel like if they wanted us to focus on Reagan and Ron ONLY they would've made the episode only about them, and make the Brett/Ron argument shorter and less crucial for the plot.
I also feel like the conclusion (Ron deciding that maybe work is too dangerous for them) makes sense! But Reagan's? She says something about balancing work and their relatioship, and it makes sense too, but they don't really show how work affects their relationship in specific.
Another thing that just feels odd to me is Brett's behavior. Of course, this whole post is to defend my view as a Breagan shipper and you might think that I'm just gaslighting manipulating girlbossing you into thinking he was jealous, but I couldn't care less about people's opinions (that's a lie, I kin Brett). I genuinely think Brett was acting weird and definitely not in character if it's meant to be seen as only platonic. I didn't even ship Breagan this much until I finished the season and without having them in mind I still thought he was acting a bit too strange.
Aside from the ending and Brett's behavior (which I will address now), the episode is really good! One of my favorites for sure, and it's not even because Andre has more than three lines (It really makes a difference, though).
- The ending and how it made my girl Reags dirty
Let's start off with the ending, just like when you find an interesting movie on TV but you're too tired to watch it from the beginning so you just enjoy what's left without context!
Ron's conclusion makes sense, but Reagan's "We will find a way to balance our lives and jobs" just... Doesn't. You may not agree with me about Brett being jealous, but this is something that's been bothering me for a while and I know I'm right.
Ron decides, after being chased by his girlfriend's coworkers, realizing that her BFF doesn't like him and that Cognito is darker than he thought, that it's not a good idea to mix work and love. Which is fair, to be honest. He literally saw clones of Hitler and organs of babies, like, I wouldn't feel safe there either.
But it's not what Ron thinks about Cognito and work that bothers me, because nobody would want their girlfriend working there. What he thinks is completely valid and although I didn't like the fact that he ghosted Reags (dude just text her my girl was literally begging you for a proper answer), he has the right to want to step out from that world. What truly makes me angry is Reagan's search for the perfect reality in the last episode.
I know what's the point they were trying to make: Reagan is a workaholic and wouldn't be able to keep a stable relationship with Ron.
Which makes a lot of sense and it's not out of character at all! God knows Reags has been obsessed with Cognito and being the boss and changing the world for forever. But the show doesn't give us an explicit example of that.
I know. We aren't dumb. We read between the lines. We get Reagan. It's inside the subtext and her entire persona. Easy to see, easy to understand, doesn't need to be explicit.
This argument would work if it wasn't because there's no subtext! We don't see (not even ONCE) how work is more important for Reagan than Ron. In fact, it's the opposite. Every time she has to choose between work and love, she chooses love:
Date with Ron >> Their mission in Rome -> Rome on fire
Desperately trying to convince Ron to work for Cognito and forgetting about actual work to a point where you would think she wouldn't get anything done if Ron was there with her -> Zombie apocalyspe (that was on Brett but she was the one forcing him to get along with Ron so-)
Being scared to lose Ron in one of the timlines >> Actually saving the timeline (by this I don't mean she didn't care about the timline and the others, but she was pretty much focused on not losing Ron. Which is valid and pretty damn romantic so go girl!!!)
(This is not Reagan slander, by the way! She's been through A LOT and deserves to be selfish. I support women's rights but most importantly I support women's wrongs!)
So how the hell my girl (at the end of ep 6) gets to the conclusion that they couldn't balance both things? She was doing pretty well until the Halloween party, and it didn't even get in between their relationship, it just proved Ron's point about the work not being safe. Which, again, makes sense, but doesn't really get in between their lives in the same way the last episode says.
Episode 6: Work is dangerous and it gets in between our relationship. We have proof. Here's a whole episode putting Ron in danger to prove it.
Episode 8: Work gets in between our relationship because Reagan would put work first. Which makes sense due to her personality, but we've been proving otherwise the whole damn season!
Just stick with one reason or develop both of them but don't change them!!!!
We suppose Reagan would be a workaholic girlfriend if Ron worked there due to her personality and ambition, but we don't actually see it? And it's not really that important and y'all must be thinking I'm reading too much into it, but I just think an explicit confirmation of Reags caring more about work than for Ron would've been great. The different realities in which she treats him like shit aren't out of character but feel odd, considering that she's been choosing him over work multiple times this season. Man, just a little tiny example I'm not asking for much.
Maybe it would've been different if she hadn't gotten that promotion. Maybe she would've been happy with Ron. I know those realities are focused on the possibility of changing the world she didn't have before Ron asked her to move in together, but... I don't know. As if she didn't care for her job before the promotion, y'know?
Basically, for me the whole workaholic thing appears out of nowhere and doesn't make sense with the Ron/Reags dyamic we've seen.
And this whole thing is connected to episode 6 because I think that episode would've been a great moment to introduce both points of view: Reagan prioritizing work and Ron not finding their jobs safe enough.
- The writers' decision and how I would've written the episode because I apparently have too much free time in class to think about this
The episode is great, but I don't understand why Brett is the protagonist here. If the conclusion is meant to be about Reagan and Ron taking a break from each other and asking THE question ("Is work getting in between our relationship?"), why is Brett the one we focus on through the episode?
If it's meant to be just a slight dislike and just not getting along with Ron, why is it so damn crucial to the plot? It's not just Brett wanting to be friends with Ron in a silly, little, sitcomy way. It's Brett wondering WHY he feels like that towards Ron. It's Brett wanting to support his BFF's boyfriend but not being able to do it for no reason whatsoever. It's literally Brett provoking the reason why Ron decides to take a break from Reagan.
Whether it is meant to be romantic or platonic, Brett is technically the reason why Ron acts like that in the end. He even makes a whole zombie apocalypse happen! Just because he didn't like Ron! C'mon it's absurd to think that's strictly platonic. This plot has been going on for years in thousand of different sitcoms: F/M best friends! One starts dating someone! The other doesn't like them! They don't know why! Wow, turns out they were in love the whole time and didn't realize they were jealous.
Classic trope for best friends to lovers.
But yeah, let's say it's platonic. Let's say Brett's reaction to Ron is just a silly plot device to make the guy realize Cognito is dangerous and even the simplest guy with the most innocent intentions could cause an apocalypse.
Why make the episode focus on Brett, then? If his feelings for Ron aren't that related to his relationship with Reags, why are those the ones to make them question their rellationship?
If it's just platonic then I find the episode a bit unnecessary.
If they wanted to show us how work affects them, and not only Brett, why wouldn't they make an episode about that in specific? It isn't that hard.
I personally would've kept the same plot: Reagan trying to convince Ron to work for Cognito using the team's opinions and views on their work!
They go to Brett and everything's the same. They don't get along. It's uncomfortable. But it stays there. Brett makes some comments about how fun it is to work for Cognito but accidentally reveals how dangerous it is, and Ron starts getting a bit worried and confused because... Where the hell has been his girlfriend working?
Then they go to Andre, Gigi, Glenn, Myc... Basically, individual meetings with each. Funny sketches. All of them fuck everything up by talking about work and how it actually is and Ron gets scared with every experience he hears.
And meanwhile, Reagan gets caught up with work! There's drama everywhere! Something something someone died. Something something the Hitler clones scaped. Something something Kanye West is a nazi now and we need to end him. Something somehing zombie apocalypse.
That way we see Reagan sort of neglecting her relationship with Ron because of work, and Ron realizing how dangerous it is.
It doesn't need to be all about Brett. At all. The ending is still the same.
So why would they make Brett the main plot point, wondering why he acts the way he does, if not to be important later? Not to mention that his character is reduced to this from this episode to the end.
- Reasons why Brett could dislike Ron and why I think they don't make sense bc this dude would get along with fucking Mussolini
"Ron made fun of Brett's interests and was lowkey mean to him!"
Brett is a pathological people pleaser, and as the pathological people pleaser I am I can confirm that that wasn't the reason why he disliked Ron. Brett likes everyone. Everyone. No matter what they do. It's not even... Like, like. It's just having to see the best in everyone because he wants to be able to get along with them so they don't hate him.
Making fun of his favorite music? Drinks? Comedian? That's soft compared to what half of the people he knows say to him. Literally you could meet him for the first time, tell him that Friends is a shitty sitcom and he would literally tell you that you're right and then cry while watching the finale.
He's constantly putting other people first and swallowing his opinions and pride, so why not sharing the same opinions as Ron would make him dislike him? It doesn't make any sense.
Besides, Ron wasn't even mean or intentionally hurting Brett. And even if he had been, Brett would've probably been the one apologizing, too. He has encountered horrible people through his life and you're telling me that Ron, his best friend's boyfriend, is the one that makes him dislike someone for once? Not buying it. Doesn't make sense.
"Brett is just worried about Reagan."
Literally doesn't make any sense because Ron hasn't shown any signs of being a bad boyfriend. And if that was the case and Brett was just being an overprotevtive best friend, it would've been explicit. There's no need to hide it in the subtext. And it wouldn't even make sense for the last episodes.
"Brett has abandonment issues."
Yeah, this one's true I can't fight against this one. However, it doesn't prove anything. He can have abandonment issues and still be in jealous. It can be both!
"He's just scared of losing his best friend."
Once again, yeah, true. But it doesn't make sense to me! The reason why Brett is so obsessed with Ron is because he can't figure out why he doesn't like him. If it was meant to be platonic they would've just said so explicitly and it wouldn't have been the main plot.
"They just don't have chemistry."
Ron is like a sad boy version of Reagan with religious trauma, there's no reason why Brett wouldn't like him. They do have chemistry! Brett is the sun, Reagan is the moon, and Ron is an eclipse! (not in a bad way like- I hope y'all have seen that friendship dynamics pic because otherwise this doesn't make sense but I swear it's really cute).
They end up having chemistry and getting along! But only because Ron gave Brett a reason to like him, which Brett has never ever needed before.
"It's just a plot device lmfao stop looking this much into it."
Maybe???? But idk I would like to be a screenwriter someday so looking into things a lot is my thing.
- Brett and his people pleaser soul slowly breaking through the episode
Canonically, Ron is the first person Brett has ever disliked. Which might be an exageration because this boy tends to say stuff like this a lot, but as far as we know it's canon. So, having that in mind, we know that Ron is actually the first person to make Brett panic over not liking someone.
It's completely normal, he just wants to make Reagan happy. Everything he does is for Reagan. Can we PLEASE remember that he's doing this for Reagan? Because I think we don't talk about it enough.
The thing about Brett not liking Ron is that Brett doesn't know why he dislikes him...
Despite being a horrible father and boss, Brett likes Rand! We've seen them interacting or, well, at least we haven't seen Brett hating him. Brett likes Myc despite being a total asshole to him and the others, and he probably is the only one (except Andre) that considers Myc to be a real friend. For literal no reason. Brett still likes his bullies. He likes his shitty family. He liked Reagan although she treated him like shit in the first episode.
And maybe it's not like, like. But it's enough to make him have a normal life with them and be able to to be of service for their approval (istg this guy's just like me fr).
So why's this any different with Ron? Maybe the writers were just trying to make this a plot device and forgot about Brett's inability to hate people. But is that really what happened? Why make it the main plot of the episode, then?
And why make Brett ask himself why he didn't like Ron?
If it was because of not sharing interests or being mean or whatever (something tangible) it would've been obvious. But he spends the episode asking himself that. It's not just a silly little dynamic, it's Brett actively wondering why he doesn't like his best friend's boyfriend.
In fact, the first time he finds out about Reagan being with someone else he's excited for her! He's happy! And I don't want to project my neurodivergency on him, but maybe the fact that Ron was just an idea and not someone tangible for him yet made him unable to picture him as a threat. And when he truly is there, he finally has someone to be jealous of.
He ends up having a soft spot for Ron, but it's only because he explicitly gave him a reason to like him. And then the last two episodes his whole character is reduced to missing Reagan, projecting on a golden retriever they have to kill, and sacrificing his happiness for Reagan's.
Yeah, totally platonic! As if this clearly wasn't the same exact plot of every romantic comedy to ever exist.
-B plot and parallelisms through the season because I've rewatched this like three times already since it came out. I need therapy. Please help me get out of here.
You thought I had forgotten about Rand's plot??? Well, jokes on you, I was waiting for the parallelisms!
I couldn't care less about the B plot in this episode. If I'm being honest I found it funny but didn't really understand the reason behind it until the last episode and after rewatching it a couple of times.
B plots are often meant to be the juxtaposition between character arcs, parallelisms or just funny little stories to make the main one softer. This time it's the three of them.
Basically, two boys fighting for a girl. That's it. That's like the whole plot. Tamiko comes to the conclusion that work is what made Rand such a shitty and crazy person. Do I really need to say more? Like I'm genuinely tired of writing and the parallelisms with this subplot are pretty much obvious.
Then we have more parallelisms in the finale!
"I had everything. I had my job, I had power. I know it's a fucking cliché, but it's true. You don't know what matters most until you lose it." - Rand about Tamiko and Reagan, 2x07
Brett is well aware of how much he loves Reagan, but maybe not in what way exactly. Her dating someone else might just be that thing that tells him: "Yes. This is it. You're losing her forever. She's gonna move out and be with another man and you're going to be abandoned again. She doesn't love you as much." And I don't know if they're going to keep up with this thing next season, but it wouldn't be weird to follow this statement.
Although I know this quote is meant to be about Reagan and Ron and probably about her regretting not moving with him next season, so the Brett thing is just a theory.
"You can't just hit a button over and over and expect a relationship to go back to the way it was. And I know it's scary to give up control." - Reagan about her parents and her and Ron, 2x07
Once again, obviously about Reagan and Ron. But would it be crazy to think this could be about Brett too? Like wanting constantly to go back (after finding out about Appletone) to when it was just Reagan and him. Talking to the dog as if he was Reagan. Missing her. Wanting her back. The thing about Brett is that he doesn't hit any buttons to go back because he cares more about Reagan's happiness than for his own. But yeah, I think it makes sense.
"And I got this. All I care about is that you're happy." - Brett to Reagan, 2x08
"And as long as the person you love is happy, maybe you can be happy later." - Reagan about Ron, 2x08
"Thanks for sticking by when no one else did. A good leader wouldn't drag their best friend into their dad's bullshit. I don't know if we'll ever get back to our realities, but I've seen yours and it looks good. If I succeed I'll see you again. But if not... Good luck, Brett." - Reagan to Brett, 2x07
"I searched a thousand lifetimes for the one that would make you happiest. And you'll find it one day. Just... Without me. [...] I'll miss you, Ron, and I know it were possible, you'd miss me too." - Reagan to Ron, 2x08
Do I need to say more or....?
They both parallel each other so damn much- And to be honest, maybe it is unrequited. It probably is unrequited. But it could go both ways someday! Let's be optimistic.
-"I listen to Accidentally in love from the Shrek 2 soundtrack every day!!!!" Brett. Love of my life. Is it the vibes or the lyrics?? IS IT BECAUSE THE VIBES OR THE LYRICS????? ANSWER ME BRETT HAND-
"So, she said, "What's the problem, baby?" What's the problem? I don't know. Well, maybe I'm in love. Think about it. Every time I think about it."
"How much longer will it take to cure this? Just to cure it, 'cause I can't ignore it if it's love. Makes me wanna turn around and face me but I don't know nothing bout love."
The writing team choosing the song Brett could mention while starting an uncomfortable dynamic with his best friend's boyfriend: What about a song about falling in love accidentally and not being able to stop it?
Okay so maybe it's not THAT specific. Maybe they just wanted a silly little song from a silly little movie so people would look at Brett, smirk and say "haha he's just like me fr". But?? Is it really?? As I said I want to be a writer and I wouldn't choose something as important and cool as a character's favorite song (okay maybe not FAVORITE CANON but he loves it so) just for the memes. It has to mean something, c'mon.
-Why I think Breagan wouldn't destroy the show (as some of you say) and actually would make them one of the most powerful couples ever (this has absolutely nothing to do with my love for coworkers to BFFs to lovers)
I do agree with a lot of you: We need more M/F platonic relationships. However... Have you ever considered that Brett and Reagan are just... Not really that platonic anymore? It's not the first time we've seen this. Mostly in sitcoms! Jim and Pam from The Office, Jake and Amy from Brooklyn 99, Nick and Jess from New Girl, I can keep going... And going... I kin Brett I know about sitcoms!
Reagan loved Ron. She truly did. But it's true that he needed a normal life and she was... Midnight rain. Sorry, Taylor Swift reference. But!! Reagan would end up choosing work and it doesn't mean she doesn't love Ron, it's just that work is equally important to her and knew he wouldn't be happy if they stayed together.
But it could work with Brett. it works with Brett. Because if they dated he would understand Reagan's priorities. He would be always there for her. And he wouldn't try to keep her away from danger (he would be worried sick, ofc, and always would be there to help) because he knows Reagan wants that.
They work well together and their dynamic is sweet, a bit cliché and easy to build. Maybe it's the easy path but that doesn't mean it's necessarily bad.
As an aroace person I love platonic dynamics, but maybe this is not the one we need!! Or maybe it is, tbh I couldn't care less because either way I trust the writers to give us a great relationship development, whether it is romantic or platonic. But idk I would like to see more of Reagan with the other guys and Brett with Gigi! Maybe Andre and Gigi? It would be great not to rely on just one platonic friendship.
And by the way, there's also this possibility of them being completely platonic and Brett not being jealous. Maybe he's just a good best friend that feels a bit worried about his friendship and that's all! If you don't agree with my opinion, that's great too! Just respect everyone's points of view on this because I've seen a lot of hate towards breagan shippers and it's a completely harmless ship!! <3
If there's any mistakes just know that english isn't my first language and it's like 3 am here right now-- Thanks for reading!!!! <3
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catcze · 1 month
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Reblogs are greatly appreciated !!
[ ###… ] modern AU, rockstar Wriothesley, gn reader, est. relationship, a lil bit of hurt/comfort, fluff, long-distance pining, lovesick & homesick wrio, kinda cheesy which is kind of on brand for me lol
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By the time Wriothesley manages to get back to his hotel room and check his phone, he's pretty sure you're asleep. He hopes you are, knowing how late it must be on your end.
It's no surprise that there are several messages waiting for him— each day you've been apart, you give him something sweet to read in the evenings after a busy day of promos or after a hectic show. Something to make the distance between you seem a little less vast, to let him know that you're still thinking about him.
Even on days where he's dead tired, he'll always read them. Always let you know that he thinks of you, too.
What does surprise him is the newest text, sent at just over twenty minutes ago. Wriothesley frowns as he wonders why you're still up, and his heart only drops more when he scrolls through the messages and reads the latest thing you sent.
I miss you. I really, really miss you.
Before he can even hope that he's not bothering you, his finger near slams on the call button. You answer on the second ring, voice lacking the raspiness of a roused sleep. It makes him sigh with relief.
"Wrio?" you ask, surprised. "Are you okay? What's up?"
"I should be asking you that." Wriothesley sits heavily on the plush bed, flopping back against the pillows with all the grace of a man who just gave a two-hour performance.
As luxurious as the king-sized bed is, with its soft sheets and myriad of immaculately fluffed pillows, he can't help but yearn for the warm familiarity of your own bed and your well-loved blankets.
"Why're you still up, honey? Don't you have breakfast with your friends tomorrow?"
"...can't sleep," you murmur after a beat, voice so quiet. He hears sheets rustling, then silence again. You hesitate. "I... it might sound selfish but I miss you being here with me. It sucks that the bed feels so empty without you."
And oh, if he could, Wriothesley would crawl through the phone right this very second and wrap you in his arms— would crush you to his chest and hold you tight as he listens to your breath taper off into sleep. Would keep you against him, wrapped up in his love and adoration, until you practically have to beat him off of you with a stick.
But he can't and it's killing him.
"It's not selfish. I miss you too," he says, voice longing. "I want to go home to you so bad, sweetheart, you have no idea. Wish I could've packed you up in my bag and smuggled you here with me." He has to fight sleepy giggles at the thought.
"Speaking of— you better be prepared for a crapload of gifts when I get back. I've got a whole suitcase of stuff I thought you'd like."
You gasp, and even sounding a little crackly from the speakers, his heart does a flip. "A whole suitcase?! I wouldn't even know where to put all that!"
"We'll find space. 'm pretty sure there's some stuff we can jigsaw around." Wriothesley tries to keep the tiredness from his voice, tries to fight back the yawn. It's been so long since you've called, what with timezones and schedules getting in the way, and he wants to talk to you longer— ask how your day's been, what your plans are for the rest of the week, if there were any places you want to visit when he gets home. This call is much too short for all the things he wants to say, for all the hours he wants to spend listening to you talk.
But try as he might, you can tell he's close to knocking out without even having to lay an eye on him.
"You should sleep," you tell him, voice soothing him like a balm. "You're probably tired after your show. I saw a few videos, you know— you were so cool. I'm proud of you, Wrio."
He hums, basking in your praise. His eyelids are already growing heavy, the soft siren's song of sleep growing harder to resist. If he closes his eyes, maybe he can imagine that you're just down the hall, busy with something. You'll come in any second now, crawl into bed and slip into his arms, and everything would be right with the world.
"Thank you for... for calling. For checking up on me just because of a text." You giggle at that last bit, and (as it always seems to do) his heart flips. "I love you lots."
"Mm, no need to thank me. Just gimme lots of kisses when I get home." His tongue is growing heavier, sleep more inviting. But he manages to get one last thing out— "I love you lots, too."
Right before Wriothesley lets himself drop, you press a loud, exaggerated kiss to the receiver of your phone. He smiles.
That's how you both fall asleep: with both phones still on the line, even breaths and quiet snores comforting the other into a restful slumber.
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yoongiseesawmp3 · 5 months
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anything but - jeonghan
summary: roommate!jeonghan. you thought living with your best friend, jeonghan, would be easy. fun. like a sleepover every night. but as he watches you struggle week in and week out with crushes that don't like you back or dates that never seem to go well, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
word count: 8.2k
warnings: none rly, afab reader, unedited, sry
masterlist
jeonghan is ready to go to sleep. he had a long day, followed by a good, but tiring, night with friends, and he's been thinking about his soft sheets for the past two hours now. he's also been thinking about you, thinking about how happy he gets seeing your face light up when he walks through the door, but he knows he won't see that tonight. you're going on a date, dinner with some loser who's not him. he knows he could treat you so much better, but he can't just say that. things would get weird, and jeonghan can't afford the rent on his own. so selfishly, he keeps you and his feelings at arm's length. he's still thinking about you as he puts his key in the lock, wondering if he can stay up late enough to make sure you get home safe. when he opens the door, he changes his mind.
"what are you doing here?" jeonghan asks with a bit of anger in his voice, finding you laid out on the couch scrolling through your phone. "you told me you were going on a date tonight. did you cancel on him?"
"nope," you reply, popping the p as you sit up to stare at your roommate. "he cancelled on me. ten minutes before he was supposed to pick me up, actually, so i got ready for nothing."
that's when jeonghan notices the nice clothes you have on, your hair done up but mussed now that you've been laying on it. and, with a pang in his chest, he notices your makeup that looks smudged with tears. he knows you've been having dating trouble lately, and it's definitely been getting to you. but it makes his heart ache to think that you've been home all night crying over some loser who couldn't even bother to take you out.
"why didn't you call me?" he asks softly, joining you on the couch as he lifts your legs to lay them over his lap. he keeps a comforting hand on your calf as you explain, a slight tremor in your bottom lip as you say, "i didn't want to interrupt boy's night."
"baby, come on," he sighs. "you should have told me. you could've come to boy's night!"
"right," you scoff, rolling your eyes. "and hear all of them talk about their beautiful girlfriends and being so happy in a relationship? i'd rather eat drywall."
"we talk about other stuff," jeonghan laughs. "i told them about you getting us tickets to that soccer game and now i think they like you better than me. mingyu might be calling to see if he can take my ticket."
"never," you smile at him, sitting up and swinging your legs from his lap. "well, it's late. you're probably tired."
"eh," jeonghan shrugs, looking over you carefully to gauge if you're upset. "i could stay up a little longer, if you wanted to watch something."
"we're caught up on all our shows though," you pout. jeonghan sees an idea cross your face, so he asks, "what are you thinking?"
"nothing," you shake your head. "i remembered i didn't watch project runway last week, but you don't like that show-"
"put it on," he nods to the tv, looking over you one more time and noticing your clothes must not be that comfortable. "or you go change, i'll set it up."
"you don't know what episode i'm on though," you squint at him, and he shakes his head.
"nope, you're two weeks behind," he says. "i remember, because we went out the week before and you were ticked off that you were missing it."
"you pay too much attention to me," you mumble as you finally get up from the couch, jeonghan barely hearing you as he checks you out from behind. you're right, he does. too bad you haven't realized why.
when you come back from your room, you're wearing a hoodie that's seen better days and shorts that aren't quite doing their job. jeonghan clears his throat, trying not to stare, but when you sit down and put your legs back over his lap he can't help but skirt his hand over your skin, getting too close to your thigh without realizing.
"that tickles," you giggle, pushing his hand away. "you're annoying."
"ha, sorry," he laughs nervously, not sure what to do with his hands now so he reaches for the remote to press play. not far into the episode you curl up on your side of the couch, your knees tucked up beneath you as you lay down. jeonghan keeps an eye on you the whole time, attune to all your reactions and movements. he notices when you shiver, up in an instant to get a blanket.
"where are you going?" you call out, and he comes back wordlessly with the comforter from his room. he wraps it over you, using the rest of it to cover himself as he gets comfortable again. you find yourself dozing off, waking up every few minutes to see the progress on your favorite designers. you sleep through a whole section of the show, whining that you need to rewind, but jeonghan quietly explains what's happened and you're satisfied enough.
"do you want me to turn this off?" jeonghan asks after he sees your eyes closed again after you just complained about missing part of the show. you shake your head, not much of it visible outside of his blanket. you're noticing how nice his blanket smells, recognizing it as the same fresh scent that follows jeonghan around. it makes you feel at home, and that's part of what's making you so sleepy.
"i don't wanna go to my room," you admit shyly, feeling the tears from earlier just a moment or two away. "i'll stay awake, promise."
"do you want to sleep out here?" jeonghan asks, and you think about it for a moment. it wouldn't be the first time you had a little sleepover of sorts, both of you squished awkwardly on the couch or sleeping far apart from each other on someone's mattress that's been dragged out from one of your rooms. your silence decides it for jeonghan, and he says, "i'll go change, and then we can go to sleep." all you do is nod, getting comfortable beneath his comforter again as jeonghan slinks back to his bedroom to get ready for bed.
he comes back out and laughs to himself, your messy hair and scrunched sleepy face pulling at his heart. he knows someday he should tell you how he feels. he knows what you're looking for, and he knows he's perfect for you. it's just a matter of time before you figure that out, too.
-
a few days later, jeonghan was in the middle of a nap when he heard mumbling in the hallway and the sound of someone slamming doors. he was worried for only a few minutes, thinking it could possibly be an intruder, but as the mumbling gets closer to his door he knows there's a very frustrated y/n on the other side. he groans as he hoists himself up, shuffling to the door so he can peek out at you putting laundry away in the most irritated way possible. it's like you're trying to punish the towels for existing, and jeonghan can't help but laugh at the annoyed look on your face. it's cute, he finds himself thinking, but his chuckle pulls you from your dark thoughts and brings your anger to a new victim.
"what."
"nothing," jeonghan says defensively. "i thought someone was breaking in, you know, with all the banging around."
"shut up," you mumble, shoving the washcloths into the hall closet before slamming the door. you turn to your best friend and roommate, finger pointed accusingly, "i'm in a bad mood so don't piss me off."
"that explains the stress cleaning," he notes, and you ignore him.
"i'm going downstairs to put the dishes away," you grumble as you pass by him to get to the stairs, and he puts a timid hand on your shoulder.
"maybe do something that involves less breakables," he says coolly. "go punch a pillow or something."
"that's a good idea," you say, face lighting up slightly, and he laughs nervously as he finally asks what's wrong. "you remember that bitch of a dude who i was talking to a couple weeks ago?"
"gar bear?" jeonghan asks, and you roll your eyes.
"gary, yeah."
"what about him?" he asks, watching you unlock your phone and scroll to find something. you shove it into his hands, open to a very disturbing picture of a very ugly dick. "no."
"yeah. at three pm on a fucking thursday."
"stop making me look at it," he whines, pushing your phone back to you. "that's what made you mad?"
"yes!" you shout. "how did that thought process work? oh, this girl who i led on and then gaslit and then weirded out, she really needs to see my dick right now. it's the middle of the day! get a job! contribute to society!!!"
"why's he posing like that?" jeonghan asks, noticing more about the photo since you haven't locked your phone yet. "he looks so stiff."
"please stop," you say, but jeonghan sees a smile pulling at your lips.
"so what did you do?"
"i said 'what is your problem' and then i blocked him," you shrug, and he laughs.
"remind me to never piss you off," he says as he wraps an arm around you. "i'm sorry guys are assholes."
"i think i'm gonna become a nun," you mumble into his shoulder, staying in his hold maybe a minute too long. he presses a quick kiss to the crown of your head before letting you go, a blush on your cheeks that he takes pride in.
"you'd suck at being a nun, you're not nice enough," he jokes, and the way you glare at him makes him smile. "plus you fuck too much, aren't they supposed to be celibate?"
"forget punching pillows, i'm gonna punch you."
"sure baby," he chuckles, looking back at you as he walks downstairs. "you want food or something? i'll do the dishes. you just focus on not burning down the patriarchy."
"no promises," you mumble as you follow behind him. "but yeah, i wanna try this recipe i found the other day..."
it's over dinner that night that you realize how perfect jeonghan is. if only you could find a guy just like your best friend. someone who supports you, makes you smile, know how to get your heart to skip a beat. take, for example, his compliments. you like to joke to jeonghan that you need validation on your cooking, like tinkerbell, so whenever you cook for him the praises are nonstop. he's nothing if not supportive, so he tries to find things to comment on that he knows will make you blush. it works, and you do your best to tell him to stop without making it obvious that your heart is doing somersaults at his words.
this is what you want from a relationship, you find yourself thinking. you want to be comfortable with them, feel supported, all the things that jeonghan gives you. that night, you scroll through your dating apps, looking for a guy you think could meet those standards. in reality, you spend the whole night comparing the men on your screen to your roommate, subconsciously thinking of all the things you like most about jeonghan that these losers don't possess. you fall asleep like that, phone open to an empty chat, with jeonghan still on your mind.
-
so, a downside to living with jeonghan is you get the brunt end of all his weird energy. sometimes it's fun, and manifests itself in silly ways. like when you go thrifting, he takes it upon himself to find the weirdest thing in the store and insists on bringing it home. it means your apartment is decorated uniquely, but some of the stranger things you make him keep in his room. you haven't figured out yet that he only does this to make you laugh, loving how you smile sweetly at all the funny trinkets littered around your house. anything that goes into his room is eventually donated back to goodwill, its purpose served, doomed to delight another unassuming shopper some day.
other times, his weird energy comes out in worse ways. like today, he's not home, but you can feel that something's wrong. you know jeonghan is helping his friends with some video shoot, and he won't be home until much later. but there's a vibe in your apartment when you walk in. something is off, and it doesn't take you long to realize it. jeonghan has moved everything around, the couch where your kitchen table should be, the chairs from the table lined up in place of your couch. he's a strange one, your best friend, but it makes you laugh nonetheless, sending him a picture of the chairs and asking, "how am i supposed to fall asleep watching tv on this?!"
jeonghan smiles when he gets your text, shooting back, "watch tv in your room if you know you're just gonna fall asleep!"
really, he did the switcharoo for you to let your guard down. yes, moving furniture around is something silly that he would do, but he hid something further in the house that he wants you to find. he's hoping he'll be home when you do, but just the mere thought of your reaction has him chuckling. he goes back to whatever vernon wanted him to do, curious at each buzz from his phone, wondering if it's you.
jeonghan got the best of you, like usual. you did just go to your room, putting on one of your comfort shows so you could relax after a boring shift at work. you only get up to make a quick meal, dozing off again with the empty plate beside you. when the tv wakes you up you figure it's just time for you to go to bed, so you shuffle to the kitchen and notice a light coming from under jeonghan's door. he must have come home while you were napping, but it's late, so you go about your business. you drop your things off in the kitchen, returning upstairs to grab a washcloth and towel from the closet before you lock yourself in the bathroom. jeonghan is listening intently as you move around, waiting for the sound of the shower curtain pulling back and-
"JEONGHAN?!"
with sock clad feet that send him crashing through the now open bathroom door, he greets you with a shit eating grin. "you rang?"
"what the FUCK is that doing in here," you bellow, pointing at the plastic skeleton jeonghan found at the party store earlier that day. he thought it would be funny to hide in the apartment, at first just thinking about propping it up in the kitchen like the dead guy was making a meal, but the idea of scaring you a little was too good for him to pass up.
"man, when was the last time you cleaned your bathroom?" jeonghan jokes, "he must've been in here a while."
"fuck you," you spit, heart still racing from the surprise. that's when jeonghan notices something: you're naked. well, not entirely. like, you definitely don't have clothes on, his eyes flicking down to see your discarded panties and sleep shirt on the floor. he can't see the goods though because you're dangerously holding a towel over your body, one edge of it slipping as you reach out to try and punch jeonghan.
"what, you don't like him?" jeonghan pouts, stepping out of the bathroom to protect himself. "i thought you said you wanted to start decorating for halloween."
"this is not what i meant and you know it, you jackass," you try to say meanly, but jeonghan finds it cute. "it scared the shit out of me."
"i'm sorry," he says finally, hands twitching to reach out and grab you by the waist so he can rub comforting circles on your skin. but he can't. he physically shakes his hands out, a thing he does often enough to reset his mind that you look at him quizzically.
"why'd you do that?" you ask, and he clasps his hands behind his back defensively.
"felt like it," he shrugs. you roll your eyes and reach for the door, grumbling more expletives at him as you try to shut it in his face. "um, y/n?"
"what."
"you gonna shower with him?" jeonghan asks, pointing to your new friend. "i gotta admit, i'm a little jealous-"
"oh my god," you groan, grabbing the skeleton and throwing it at jeonghan with a comical clangor of plastic bones. "i hate you."
"love you too baby," jeonghan laughs as he closes the door for you, hefting the skeleton over his shoulder to go hide him in another corner of the house.
-
a few days later (jeonghan has hid the skeleton twice now), you come home from a date, dopey smile still on your face. you gasp when you see a body on the couch, thinking it's that stupid skeleton again. you breathe a sigh of relief when you realize it's a snoozing jeonghan instead. he looks angelic, his soft features shining brightly even in the dark room, illuminated by the tv. you don't realize that you're staring, nor do you realize jeonghan is peeking at you, the sound of the door waking him up.
"hey," he calls quietly, startling you. "sorry. i can go back to sleep and you can keep staring."
"i wasn't staring," you say defensively.
"sure," jeonghan nods, checking you out. "you look nice."
"who's staring now?" you ask as you cross to the kitchen. "i went out to dinner, but the portions were too small. do you want something to eat?"
"no, i'm good!" jeonghan calls. "was it a fancy place?"
"what?" you ask, coming back into the living room with a bag of chips. "i couldn't hear you."
"where you ate," he clarifies. "you dressed up, the servings were small, must have been a fancy place this guy took you to."
"how'd you know i was on a date?" you pout.
"y/n, i know you better than anyone else," jeonghan chuckles. "it was obvious. how'd it go?"
"good," you nod, ears burning under jeonghan's close attention. "don't wanna jinx it though."
"ok," jeonghan nods. "well i'm glad it was a good date. you deserve one of those."
"how was your night?" you ask. jeonghan shifts on the couch so there's room for you to sit and join him. once you're settled he explains how his friend seungcheol had come over for drinks, but he left a little while ago.
"i think he's got a girlfriend and doesn't want to tell me," jeonghan says, "because he feels bad that i'm not seeing anybody."
"you want me to find you a lady?" you tease. "you know my friends love you, i'm sure it'd be easy.''
"no," he shakes his head so some of his hair falls in his eyes. it makes it easier for him to stare at you without you noticing. "i'm good."
"well, it's a standing offer," you say as you get up to return the chips to the pantry. when you walk back through the living room, you ask, "where's jack tonight? i'm about to shower, i don't want another heart attack."
"i put the skeleton in your bed," jeonghan smiles with an impish glint in his eyes. "i figured it would be a nice surprise for the poor sap you might have brought home."
"you're annoying."
"thanks!" jeonghan chirps, and you laugh before telling him goodnight. he watches you go, smiling at something on your phone. jeonghan feels a pang in his chest ever so slightly, but he shakes it off, turning the tv off before he goes back to sleep trying not to think about you.
-
the following week, you're acting off. jeonghan notices immediately, but he doesn't bring it up to you at first. he's not sure if maybe work is stressing you, or maybe you've got family stuff going on...whatever it is, he'll give it a day or two before he checks on you, knowing how you like having time to yourself before someone swoops in to help.
the reality is, you really like this guy you've been talking to. that first date was amazing, and you wanted to go out with him again as soon as possible. you talk all the time, always ducking into your room when he calls while you're around jeonghan. you're actually ignoring jeonghan a lot, which you feel bad about, but you just can't get enough of this new guy. even though you're talking a lot, it's hard to set up another date with him because you're both busy with work. you've got plans to hang out on sunday, and for the first time in a long time, you're excited for a date. not nervous, not dreading it, just pure schoolgirl crush excitement.
that's why it's so crushing when, a few hours before, the guy texts you and cancels. you play it off at first, asking when he's free to reschedule, but his response is basically telling you to get lost. it hurts your feelings more than it should, because he is just some loser dude, but you also didn't know him that long. you have no reason to be so devastated over this, but you are.
jeonghan knew about your second date with this guy, so he made plans to be out of the house for as long as possible on sunday. as selfish as it was, he didn't want to be there for the giddy getting ready (you always ask him for outfit advice and he always tells you that you look great) or for the nervous pacing while you waited for the guy to pick you up (jeonghan always distracts you with jokes to calm your nerves). he also didn't want to be there after the date, if you happened to bring the lucky guy home. so he's out running errands, bothering his friends, and killing time until he's sure he won't walk in on anything he doesn't want to see.
when jeonghan gets home, it's late. after his day of farting around he went to his friend wonwoo's apartment for a while to heckle him while he played video games, and wonwoo finally kicked him out.
"don't you need to go home to your girlfriend?" wonwoo had teased, and jeonghan kicked him from his spot on the couch.
"y/n's my best friend and my roommate."
"so basically your girlfriend," wonwoo smiles that little smile of his, and it annoys jeonghan.
"she doesn't think of it like that," jeonghan mumbles, looking for his phone so he can head home anyway.
"because you're being too subtle."
"i'm not trying to be anything!" jeonghan says defensively. "i don't want her to know."
"why not?" wonwoo asks, finally turning to look at his friend. "you afraid she'll say no? because we all think-"
"i'll see you later, ok?" jeonghan says quickly, his shoes barely on as he tries to unlock the door. "hope cheol doesn't kill you again."
"in his dreams," wonwoo mumbles, his attention effectively back on the game and off of jeonghan.
jeonghan comes home to a mostly dark apartment, the stove light in the kitchen the only indication that you got home before him. he stops at the door to make sure there's no...unpleasant sounds coming from elsewhere, and when he's met with silence he kicks his shoes off carefully before heading to his room. he's exhausted, hiding from you all day being a good way to wear a person out. when he passes by your room something catches his ear, and his heart stops. were you moaning?
jeonghan knows he shouldn't, but he presses his ear against your door, telling himself he's only doing this so he can decide if he needs to stay somewhere else tonight. he's waiting to hear another voice, a man's voice, but he's met with a quiet whimper, followed by some sniffles. his heart roars back to life hearing that, almost breaking to pieces when he realizes you're not moaning, you're in your room crying. he's opening the door before he knows what he's doing, and you jump out of your skin at the unwelcome intrusion.
"go away," you whisper. jeonghan ignores you, coming to your bedside and looking down at you with concern in his eyes. "jeonghan, please. go away-"
"why are you crying?" he asks, and you don't say anything. "what did that asshole do?"
"nothing," you sniff again, willing your tears to stay back as you try to appease your roommate long enough for him to decide you're fine and leave you alone. "h-he was bu-busy and had to cancel-"
"fuck him."
"yeah, whatever," you say shakily. "it doesn't matter. i'm fine. now leave. please." your eyes are closed, trying to hide the tears that are welling up, and jeonghan is so quiet you assume he left, but he's trying not to let his own emotions show as he calls your name.
"y/n," jeonghan whispers, and when you look up at him you can't help it. you start crying again seeing him so upset over you being so upset, and before long you're back to bawling your eyes out. you barely register jeonghan cooing softly at you, climbing into bed and scooping you up into his arms. his lips are pressing soft kisses up and down your hairline, and it makes you cry even more. this is what you want, you think. this is what you need, what you've been missing. you want a boyfriend that will care for you like jeonghan does, that will be there for you like jeonghan is. it physically hurts you to think that you may never have that, that there's a possibility you'll never feel that kind of romantic love from someone. and you want to say that, you want to tell jeonghan why he came home to you pathetically crying so much, but he doesn't care. he just wants you to stop, so he'll hold you in his arms whispering sweet jokes to you until there's no more tears. he gets the slightest smile out of you right before you doze off, hands bunched into his shirt holding on for dear life. jeonghan holds you tighter, pressing one last kiss to the tip of your snotty nose before he drifts off to sleep with you.
-
you wake up later, not quite in the morning, but a few hours have passed. you're not used to sharing a bed with someone, especially when that person has such a vice grip on you as jeonghan does. once your mind has registered that you're awake, you also feel the burn of someone's eyes on you. sure enough, when you peek into the darkness of your room you see jeonghan staring back, eyebrows creased and teeth nibbling his bottom lip.
"stop chewing your lip," you tell him, reaching out to tug it from between his teeth. "i'm fine. you don't need to worry about me."
"wrong," he replies, watching you intensely as he brushes a strand of hair behind your ear. the quiet that follows has your face heating up, and the heat spreads through the rest of your body. it feels like every point where jeonghan's body is pressed against yours is on fire, and you want to pull away. but you don't.
"why aren't you in your room."
"because i wanted to sleep here," he replies. "i hope that's ok."
"it's not-"
"bummer," jeonghan cuts you off. "i'm not leaving."
"i'm not crying anymore though," you point out. "so. i'm fine."
"nope," he shakes his head. his bangs fall back into his eyes, and you think briefly he must need a haircut, but you hope he doesn't get one. the long hair suits him, even if it keeps him from seeing sometimes. you don't think about it, your hand unclenching his shirt and instead reaching up to brush his hair out of his face. jeonghan watches you carefully, and your breath gets caught in your throat when you look back down to his eyes. he's staring at you so intensely you can feel it in your chest, and that's when it hits you: jeonghan. you want a boyfriend like jeonghan. well! jeonghan's right here! what are you gonna do about it?
"jeonghan, i..." you trail off, staring at him like you're seeing him in a new light. he waits patiently for you to go on, thinking you might explain the situation a little more, but you don't know what to say. you just get hit with the intense need to bury your face in his chest, breathing in his scent and listening to his heartbeat as you fall back asleep.
"what?" he asks, trying to encourage you to keep speaking.
"um, can i just-" you try, but instead of speaking you just nuzzle into his chest, nose at the base of his neck tickling his skin. "i want to go back to sleep."
"then sleep baby," he whispers as he squeezes you tighter, afraid to let go. as you fall asleep, you let your hands relax against his chest, one of them laid right over his racing heart.
-
the next morning, you wake up to an empty bed and almost convince yourself you dreamed up jeonghan last night. like an oasis in the desert, he came to you when you needed him most. a little part of you wishes it wasn't real so you could go back to a time where you didn't know your true feelings for jeonghan, but your mussed sheets proves it wasn't a dream. jeonghan's scent is still lingering on your extra pillow, and you take a deep breath and remember how it felt to be wrapped up in your best friend.
jeonghan comes back into your room with two coffees in hand and he sees you nuzzling your face into the spot where his head laid just minutes ago. he lets you wallow for a moment before he calls your name softly. you jump up, cheeks warming as you look at jeonghan in your doorway.
"morning," he smiles. he hands you your coffee, your cold hands brushing his and sparking warmth across his skin. he stops himself from leaning down to kiss your forehead, knowing that whatever intimacy you shared last night is probably left in the past. you were sad, and jeonghan was there to comfort you. he'd happily do that a million times over, but he doesn't think you feel the same way he does.
"jeonghan, i'm sorry about last night," you try to apologize, but he shakes his head.
"don't," he stops you. "i would do it again if you needed it."
"well if you find me crying over some loser again tonight you have full permission to slap me," you tell him. "one night was enough."
"noted," he laughs, awkwardly standing in your room, unsure if he can get back into bed with you. you pick up on the way his eyes keep flitting from you to his spot, and you pat the empty space so he'll sit down.
"stop being weird," you say, bumping shoulders with him once he's comfortably next to you again. "so how'd you sleep?"
"pretty good," he starts out, "but there was this really annyoing sound coming from your side of the bed?"
"oh you mean me crying?"
"no, like this really loud, obnoxious snoring, kinda like-" jeonghan starts demonstrating, sending you into a fit of giggles and a pushing match to get him to stop.
"i think that was you!" you shriek, carefully trying not to spill your coffee. "don't spill that in my bed, i'll kill you."
"and then who are you gonna cuddle at night?" jeonghan asks, regretting it when he feels the tension between you both.
"i could always cuddle with jack," you joke to break the awkwardness, and jeonghan rolls his eyes.
"i hate that you named the skeleton."
"the skeleton is a guest in our home," you tease him. "show him some respect."
"whatever, freak," he says before downing the rest of his coffee. he gets an idea then, turning to you to ask, "what are you doing today?"
"um, nothing except work," you reply. "but you know my job is barely real so i'm basically doing nothing."
"let's go get coffee," jeonghan says, a playful look in his eyes.
"we just had coffee," you point out.
"no, no, we'll get good coffee, you can do some work, i'll watch you do some work, it'll be great," he insists, getting up and pulling you out of bed with him.
"if you're still trying to cheer me up i swear i'm fine," you say through your laughter, pressing back against jeonghan trying to push you toward your closet. "you don't need to take me for coffee or do anything else to make me feel better. i'm fine now."
"glad to hear it," he smiles softly, squeezing your hand that's clasped firmly in his. "but i still want to get coffee, so get dressed or everyone at the cafe will see you in that god forsaken t shirt."
the t shirt in question is one that jeonghan found for you during one of your goodwill visits. for whatever reason, it says 'i shaved my balls for this' and it got the biggest laugh from you all night, so jeonghan had to bring it home. despite being awful colors (light blue paired with neon yellow) it's actually quite comfortable, and you love the way it makes jeonghan laugh every time you wear it. it's unironically become your favorite sleep shirt, but you are mortified at the thought of anyone aside from your best friend seeing you in it. you quickly change, grabbing your work laptop from your desk before you head into the living room to find jeonghan waiting for you.
it's not unusual for him to take you out on random adventures, but this one feels different. he stays closer to you than normal, insists on buying your drink, and you catch him actually watching you work.
"get a hobby," you mumble, looking down at your laptop so he hopefully won't see your blushing cheeks.
"this is my hobby," he says. "i'm hanging out with my favorite person."
"seungcheol's going to be very sad to hear he's been demoted," you tease.
"he knows where he stands," jeonghan says, still watching you intently. you can't take it anymore, staring back at him.
"seriously, pretend to read or something! you're distracting me."
"i'm distracting you?" he smiles. "why? i'm not doing anything."
"i'm sending this email and then we're leaving," you say, and he shrugs.
"if you want, baby."
baby. it hits you harder this time, jeonghan's silly little nickname for you. you thought it started off as a sarcastic thing, but recently you feel like it sounds sweeter and sweeter coming from his lips. after last night, it makes your heart skip a beat, and that's when it hits you: are you on a date with jeonghan right now?!
"wait. waitwaitwait. hold on," you say, pointing at jeonghan and then yourself. "is this a date? are we on a date?"
"what? no baby," he shakes his head, and now you're confused. "no, if we were on a date you'd know."
"what's that supposed to mean?" you squeak out.
"do you want us to be on a date right now?" jeonghan counters, and you know your blushing cheeks have you in trouble. "you do?"
"i-i don't know-"
"hm, you wanna go on a date with me," jeonghan says matter of factly. "well, that's good to know."
"what are you doing?" you ask as he starts cleaning up his space.
"oh i need to go back to the apartment," he says. "gotta get my laptop so i can start planning a date that's worthy of you. i'll see you at home?"
"jeonghan, what?" you're left sputtering as he heads to the door, not looking back even though he knows your staring. he's afraid you'll see the excited/nervous shake in his hands, so he needs to go cool off. well, that and plan the best date of your entire life. he's got a lot of ground to cover. thankfully, the idiots you usually grace your time with have set the bar pretty low. jeonghan is determined to bring it higher, so high in fact that you won't be able to go on another first date without comparing it to his. if things go right though, maybe you won't have to go on a first date ever again.
-
jeonghan left the coffeeshop before you, so it would make sense if he was at the apartment when you got back, right? wrong. you come home about an hour later to an empty home, no sign of jeonghan. you think that's fine, it gives you a chance to actually get some work done. but jeonghan being mia has you a little nervous. what's he doing? he said he was going to plan a date. for you. and him. you and jeonghan...on a date? that's crazy.
you've done a good job ignoring that whole concept, trying to get ahead on a project you need to present later this week. you're so hyperfocused that the whole day goes by before you realize it, and when you finally emerge from your room you really expect to find jeonghan in the living room. he's still gone, so you decide to text him, asking casually if he would be home for dinner. the domesticity isn't lost on you, and it makes jeonghan smile when he gets it. he decides to call instead of texting back, balancing his phone against his shoulder and his cheek once you pick up.
"you miss me or something?" he asks, and you can hear the smile in his voice.
"i was just curious," you reply nonchalantly. "you've been missing all day."
"i've been busy."
"oh ok."
"i'll be home soon though," he tells you. "don't make dinner, just make sure you're dressed in an hour."
"for what?"
"a surprise."
"i need more information and you know that," you scoff, and you hear jeonghan chuckle.
"dress nice, but not fancy. and wear something blue so we'll match," he explains, and you feel your cheeks warm. "i gotta go, but i'll see you soon, baby."
hearing that coming from jeonghan now makes your heart skip a beat, and it makes you wonder if you've always felt like this and you just didn't notice. you keep thinking about him as you get ready, steaming out a dress you were planning to wear on a date that didn't happen. it's a soft blue with long sleeves and a low tie in the front. you worry for a moment that it might be too revealing, but checking the time rushes you into action. you're almost ready when there's a knock at the front door, which you ignore. there's another knock, this time louder, so you grumble your way to the living room to peek through the peephole. you gasp when you see what's on the other side.
you throw the door open, revealing a visibly nervous jeonghan with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. he's wearing a blue shirt, almost the exact shade of your dress, and he openly stares at you with a happy smile and a look in his eyes that you've never seen before.
"jeonghan?" you ask, pulling him from his intense focus on your chest.
"y/n," he smiles, eyes flicking up to yours. "you look stunning."
"i'm not ready yet," you pout slightly, checking the time on your phone. "you weren't very specific about when you were coming home."
"you look perfect," he says, checking you out again. "what else could you need to do?"
"wouldn't you like to know?" you tease, and he rolls his eyes.
"i can give you ten minutes, but any longer than that and we'll be late."
"late for what?" you ask as he passes you the flowers. "these are beautiful by the way, carnations are-"
"your favorite, i know," he smiles softly. "you buy yourself a bunch almost every time you're at the grocery store."
"i can't remember the last time someone bought me flowers either," you mumble, opening the door enough for jeonghan to come inside. "what are you still doing out there? it's your house, come in."
"finish getting ready," he laughs at you, reaching for the flowers again. "i'm putting them in a vase, weirdo. you'll get them back when you're done getting pretty."
"i'll be back," you whisper, running off before he can see how nervous you just got. you try to calm your nerves as you finish your touch ups, panicking last minute over which shoes and purse go with your outfit.
jeonghan is sitting on the couch, your flowers in your favorite vase on the coffeetable. he perks up at the sound of you shuffling down the hallway, but he pouts when he sees you holding up all your shoes.
"y/n, we're gonna be late."
"i don't know which ones to wear," you say simply, and he smiles as he comes up to you, analyzing the choices. he picks the white shoes and the white purse.
"glad we're still keeping this tradition alive even though i'm the one taking you out this time," he says proudly, watching you get situated. you stand back up, mussing your hair one last time before he asks, "ready to go, beautiful?"
"i don't know why i'm so nervous," you tell him, taking his arm as you leave the apartment. "we hang out all the time."
"yeah, but this isn't us hanging out," jeonghan says as you wait for the elevator. "i'm taking you on the best date of your life. nerves are completely valid."
"are you nervous?" you whisper, leaning in so jeonghan gets a good whiff of your perfume that he loves finding traces of all through his life. he holds your gaze, eyes flicking down momentarily before he shakes his head.
"no, i thought i would be, but i'm not," he replies simply as you get on the elevator.
"ok good, so i'll just freak out for the both of us then."
"would you? that takes a lot of pressure off of me," jeonghan jokes, and you pinch his arm. "ouch! so mean to me when i've made the perfect night for you."
"and what does this perfect night entail?" you ask. jeonghan just shakes his head, leading you out into the lobby of the building. he takes you a different way, not walking to the parking garage but instead to the main entrance of your building. "jeonghan, are we walking there? i don't think i can make it in these shoes-"
you stop mid-sentence, spotting the shiny baby blue mustang convertible parked outside. you look at jeonghan, mouth open in surprise. he has to tug you down the hallway and out into the cool night air, helping you into the passenger seat with ease. you watch on in shock as he gets into the driver's side, finally cutting through the fog in your mind to ask, "do you even know how to drive this?"
"yeah," jeonghan says coolly, opening the glovebox to hand you a scrunchie of yours that he stole. "here, you might wanna put your hair up."
"you're insane," you tell him, playing with the scrunchie in your lap as he starts the car. you can't believe this so far, and the date's barely begun. what other surprises could he possibly have in store for you?
-
after a quick ride out of the city, you find yourself at a retro drive in that's completely empty. you have a sneaking suspicion jeonghan rented it just for the two of you tonight, but you don't have a chance to ask. once he parks, he's asking you to open the glovebox and you smile when you see the stack of movie theatre candy boxes he's stashed away. you take them out, turning back to jeonghan to see he's produced a tub of popcorn from somewhere and a couple of your favorite sodas. you stare at him with your mouth opening and closing like a fish and he just smiles proudly in return.
"jeonghan, what did you do?" you finally ask, and he laughs.
"do you like it?"
"what are we doing here?"
"watching a movie," he says obviously. he shifts the snacks, the drinks going into the holders by the radio and the popcorn and candy going on the dashboard. "come closer," he mumbles, tugging your arm. the smooth vinyl of the seats sending you flying into jeonghan's side, and you giggle nervously as you adjust your dress. jeonghan lays the snacks out over your laps and drapes his arm across your shoulders for good measure. he looks at you to gauge whether you're settled or not, and when he decides you're ready he presses on the horn once. the screen in front of you lights up, and you gasp as you see the opening credits for your favorite movie flashing before you.
"where did you get the idea to do this?" you ask him with a smile, taking a few pieces of popcorn to give you something to do with your hands.
"just thought it would be something different," he shrugs, and you leave it at that. you can barely focus on the movie, hyperaware of how warm jeonghan is next to you and how every glance he casts your way sends your heart racing faster and faster. a few minutes into it, you remember your hair is still tied up from the ride, so you shuffle out of jeonghan's grasp to pull the scrunchie down and reset yourself. you know jeonghan is watching, so you mumble, "watch the movie, weirdo."
"i've seen it before," he whispers back, eyes still heavy on you. "i'm not missing anything."
"you've seen me before too," you point out, leaning back into his side once you're done moving around. "quite a lot, actually."
"yeah, but i've never seen you on a date before," he says. "and on a date with me? whoa. i gotta soak it all in."
you turn to look at him then, admiring the way his hair falls so slightly into his eyes, the way his lips stretch over his shy smile, how his eyes glisten when they meet yours. you could kick yourself for not noticing any of this sooner. who knew you had exactly what you were looking for right here?
"jeonghan, i-" you start, but realize you don't have the words to tell him what you want to say. you stop, staring at him with your brows furrowed cutely.
"what, baby?" he laughs, his thumb coming up to trace the creases in your forehead. "you're gonna give yourself premature wrinkles like this."
"why are you doing this?" you ask quietly. "why are you so...wonderful? all the time?"
"because," he shrugs, his hand falling from your forehead to rest just below your chin. "i've been trying to show you what it would be like. took you long enough to come around."
"show me what?" you ask confused.
"what it's like being loved by me," he smiles back. you feel your breath catch in your throat, and you want to say something. you want to tell him how you feel, how you're sorry it took you so long, how you love every moment you spend with jeonghan by your side. instead you just lean forward, lips brushing over his. you bring your hands up to his neck, wrapping them in the soft hair at the back of his head as you scoot impossibly closer and try to press all your love into this one kiss. jeonghan keeps his hold on your chin, thumb stroking softly at your cheek. he's the first one to pull back, laughing when you try to bring his lips back to yours so quickly. he leans his forehead against yours, soft hair tickling your skin as he asks, "so you get it now?"
"yeah," you nod, knocking your heads together and sending you both into a fit of giggles. jeonghan steals a few more kisses, and when you finally calm down he pulls you back into his side, squeezing you as close to him as possible. you lay your head down on his shoulder, pressing your lips into the closest part of him you can reach. "thank you, jeonghan. my jeonghan."
"my y/n," he sighs, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "my beautiful, kind, funny girl."
"stop staring," you whisper bashfully. "you're missing the movie."
"i'm not missing anything," he repeats, but he takes one last look at you before he kisses the top of your head and finally turns back to the screen. this might be your first date with jeonghan, but it certainly won't be your last.
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cazperx-x · 2 years
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Hello there!!! May I request a suuuper fluffy piece for Gareth? Maybe where you’ve been friends since you were little, and you both love each other but think the other doesn’t (so cliche I know but it makes my heart happy) and the hellfire boys are tired of it so they do their best to get y’all together and adorable-ness ensues? If possible, thank you so much!! 💕💕💕
Thanks so much for the request!
Honeysuckle
Gareth Emerson x Fem!reader
Summary is basically the request
1.3k words
💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🥁💀💀🥁💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
"So close! Try again!" You giggled as Gareth missed for what had to be the 100th time. 
It was lunch, and Gareth had been trying to throw a tater-tot in your mouth the entire time. The rest of the table was audibly groaning, and Mike had a very readable look of disgust on his face. 
"Are you sure they're not dating and just very, very bad at hiding it?" Dustin whispered to Eddie. 
"Sadly, I'm sure. "
"Are we gonna do anything about it?" Lucas questioned. 
"Please do something, I don't think I can watch this for much longer without vomiting," Mike muttered.
"You're right. Freshmen, it's time to get the childhood best friends together once and for all." Eddie smirked. 
“God they’re such a cliché,” 
~~~~~~~
The boys spent the rest of the week trying to get you and Gareth together, like sticking notes in you or Gareth’s lockers (turns out you two already did that) and saying it was from the other or making comments whenever Gareth called you a pet name. 
“What's up buttercup?”
“Buttercup? Doesn’t that sound like something a boyfriend would call a girlfriend?”
“Shut up Lucas.”
It got to the point where Eddie even got your friends outside of Hellfire involved. 
“Look, Y/n, all I’m saying is I see the way he looks at you. And c’mon, he calls you stuff like “Honeysuckle” and “Lovebug” Isn’t it obvious?” 
“Since when have you been one to play matchmaker Alex?” 
“Whatever. Just saying.”
None of their tactics were working, so by the end of the week, the boys devised a much more straightforward plan.
~~~~~~~
You worked at the local arcade, right next to family video.
Just before your shift ended, a familiar boy ran in, out of breath. 
"Wheeler? Did you run all the way here?" You chuckled. 
"L/n! Uhh, yes actually. Last minute change. There's a hellfire campaign starting tonight that we need you to sub for because Lucas had a last-minute basketball thing. It starts at 8 pm." Mike practically wheezed, still out of breath. 
" ’Kay, I’ll be there. But you realize you could've just called right-?"
"...Shit."
~~~~~~~~~
You walked up to the clubroom, only to see a giddy Eddie, Dustin, Mike, and Lucas waiting outside the room. 
"Hi! Are we supposed to go into the clubroom or..?" You questioned, feeling as though something was off.
"It's a common tradition that the Dungeon Master enters the room last." Dustin quickly explained. 
"Well, then why are you guys out here-?"
"Eddie gets lonely out here," Lucas said, patting Eddie on the shoulder. "So we wait with him."
"Yep," Eddie said through gritted teeth. 
"Lucas? Wait if you're here who am I subbing for?"
"Just get in the room." Mike practically screamed, before pushing you in. 
You stumbled into the room, which as far as you knew was not set up for a DnD game. There were light candles, dim lighting, rose petals sprinkled on the table and floor, and... Gareth. 
"Helloo?" You awkwardly asked more than said, which made Gareth jump. 
"Oh hey!" he waved before his eyes widened. "I-I see how this might look, and I promise I didn't set any of this up. Mike shoved me in here and locked the door. I mean we're just best friends! Nothing romantic." Gareth quickly explained, his voice uneasy.
“Oh yeah. O-of course.” 
Soon you heard the door click and realized you’d both been locked in. 
“ L/n, Gareth has something to tell you. Something verryyy important.” Eddie shouted, emphasizing the word very.
You quickly turned to Gareth, whose face was bright red. “I-I don’t know what Eddie’s talking about.” He stuttered out before practically running to the door and banging on it. 
"What the fuck are you doing Munson?" 
“Sorry Gareth, this doors not unlocking until you tell L/n what's been bugging youuu.” Eddie said in a sing-song tone. “Oh, and I'm sure L/n'll have something pleasant to say about it. Now I’m taking the freshmen for a drive, by the time we get back you better have told each other what you need to.”
Gareth groaned and fell against the door as you both heard footsteps walking away. There were a few minutes of comfortable silence as you walked around the clubroom and Gareth just sat by the door with his head in his hands. 
As much as you didn’t want to admit it, your heart was beating a mile a minute. You and Gareth had been best friends since you were both six when he was trying to skateboard and nearly crashed into you while you were biking. 
“Watch it, nerd!”
“Sorry, princess.”
“I’m not a princess, nerd.”
“Oh yeah? Then what are you and why are you riding a pretty pink bike?”
“I’m Y/n L/n. And this is a hand-me-down from my sister.”
“ I’m Gareth Emerson. I got this skateboard for Christmas.”
"Well you need to keep practicing buddy."
"I bet I'm better than you!"
"Let me see the skateboard, nerd."
You couldn't help but smile to yourself while thinking of the day you two met, and other childhood memories. When you skipped school to goof off at the arcade, all the sleepovers, or that one time you slipped down a muddy trench during an especially rainy spring and Gareth found you in the pouring rain and helped you home. You figured that was the day you fell in love. Your parents didn’t even notice you were gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You'd been zoned out for who knows how long, trapped in the clubroom for even longer.
“Helllooo? Princess?” Gareth’s voice was soft, snapping you out of your thoughts. 
“Augh, I told you to stop calling me that.” You rolled your eyes.
“Did you even hear what I said?”
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I asked why your smile is so pretty,” he said matter of factly like there was no doubt about it.
“W-what?” You stuttered, his sudden complement catching you off guard.
“Why is your smile so pretty?” Gareth tilted his head like a dog while giving you puppy dog eyes. God that man was the human embodiment of a golden retriever. 
The most you could do was shrug before burying your head in your hands, afraid you were blushing. 
“I’m sorry.” Gareth’s voice was barely a whisper, so quiet you were surprised you even heard it. 
You looked up to see Gareth shaking his head, looking away from you and off to the side.
“Sorry for what?”
“Everything.” 
You frowned and walked over to him, sitting down beside him. 
“Well, what’s everything?”
“All this.” He motioned to the room. “Promise?”
You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. “Promise what?”
“You’ll still want to be my friend after this? After the shocking news I'm about to reveal?”
You giggled and nodded. “I’ll never not want to be your friend Gareth Emerson. Promise”
“Okay, good cause I’ve like… had the biggest crush on you since we were eight.” When the words were out of his mouth, Gareth brace himself as if he was expecting something catastrophic to happen, or you to slap him. 
Instead, you smiled and cupped his face in your hands. 
“Can I kiss you?”
Gareth nodded, his face turning a light shade of pink. 
You softly pressed your lips against his, and he moved you closer. 
Close. This was as close as you'd ever gotten. And as close as you wanted to be, yet still not enough. 
Gareth pulled away, a big goofy grin on his face. 
“Well, you have me beat Emerson.” You giggled. 
“Hm?”
“I think I’ve had a crush on you since the trench incident which was when we were…” you trailed off, trying to remember the exact age. 
“Ten.” Gareth quickly finished the sentence for you.
“Yeah, yeah ten.”
“So that means I win by two years.” He smugly declared. 
You rolled your eyes with a grin and shook your head. 
“Can I sit in your lap?”
Gareth acted like he was thinking about it for a moment. “Sorry, lap privileges are reserved for my gorgeous girlfriend.” He teased. 
You pouted, crossing your arms. 
“I could be your girlfriend.”
“I’d love that.” 
“...Can I sit in your lap now?”
Gareth chuckled, before patting his lap and putting his arms out. “Come here honeysuckle.”
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I JUST REALIZED THAT YOU WATCHED THE OFMD FINALE
H-
How are you feeling 🥲🥲🥲
Pahaha not swimmingly, I'll just say. First I have been doing a bit of the ol' menstruating which means everything is immediately more extreme lol. I've been very conflicted and I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about *THE THING* especially, but this is where I stand right here right now at like 11PM lmao
Under the cut cos this ended up being exponentially longer than I thought it could ever be sorry
Overall I've loved season 2!! It has been so much fun to interact with the community and convert everyone to the Izzy hands cult engage with the fandom week by week. We've had some incredibly beautiful high moments and some lovely refreshing queer joy. I adore the new characters and the developments of our existing ones. I know my negative thoughts here are much more substantial than my positives but this doesn't mean I didn't like it!! I just don't feel the need to describe the positives because I feel like they're pretty obvious and universally recognised, agreed upon and beloved, y'know? (if you want a purely positive thoughts autistic happy flappy hands rant™, i can oblige dw)
Izzy's death is not the only reason I have mixed feelings on the finale. Obviously the episode cuts were a result of HBO'S meddling and isn't the fault of the crew, but the pacing still felt off and everything that happened just kinda washed over me like white noise (haha will wo-). The loose ends were tied up in wholesome ways and if we don't get a season 3 this would be a mostly decent way to end our characters' journeys, if a bit rushed. But then...
Izzy's death. A lot of people feel very very betrayed and hurt by Izzy being killed off, some people don't feel the comfort they used to from this show because of it and no longer want to engage. I don't wanna discount these people's views, more power to them; I cannot stop them from feeling what they feel and doing what they choose. I haven't given up hope on this show but Izzy's death just felt pretty unsatisfying to me?? Putting my bias towards him aside, I get the "killing off mentor at end of second act" trope but I just feel and wish way more could've been done with Izzy. I wanted to see more of him being happy and secure in himself and his found family and his queerness and his disability!! But now I don't get that and it very much stings. I think I could've come to terms more with his death if there had been more time to dwell on it all and get to see the individual characters mourn, but again episode cuts, thanks HBO!! /s. And I know they had the funeral but it still feels like we didn't really get a chance to mourn or treat Izzy's death with the weight it warranted. And I am far too tired especially right now to engage in "is this/is this not bury your gays/disabled character" but I will say I've seen pretty compelling arguments on both sides. As an able-bodied disabled person I don't feel it's fully my place to dictate, but I am upset Izzy was killed right after some big moments in his healing process and being a disabled person and in general just enjoying his life.
Personally I'm not giving up on the show as a whole because the finale left a sour taste in my mouth. I still very much like this show and I'm willing to stick around for a potential season 3 and on future rewatches I'll be able to see the stuff I loved separate from the stuff I didn't. But since looking back now, the latter is most recent, it kind of casts an unpleasant shadow on a very enjoyable season of television.
RIP Izzy Hands you deserved better sweetie, you would've loved Drag Race. And also shoutout to Con O'Neill for a fucking phenomenal performance last season, but especially this one. Izzy was absolutely iconic and a fan favourite for a very good reason, even if imo the writers did him dirty. He was hilarious and a petty little bitch man but then deeply broken and compelling and a genuinely beautiful character with a beautiful journey despite an unfortunate and unjust end?? He slayed.
Wow this was a lot!! Sorry if you were expecting silly goofiness lmfao I got very analysi-ish and a bit melancholic. Thank you so much for the ask JJ, it was a good opportunity to try and express all my thoughts and squish them into something cohesive for both you and me. (And thanks to my friend who I was discussing this with earlier; they helped me get a new perspective by sharing some of his thoughts. Dude, if you're reading this you know who you are, thanks a bunch!!!!)
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flamechasr · 5 months
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1 , 20+21 for any of Afterglow as Tsugu , 25+27 for miss Lumine , and 31 !! >w< ilyyyy
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(1) — a memory on your mind currently
dark warning?? // MUELSYSE ; i had a nightmare where i was drowning and it felt so real and so scary because i can't drown. it's physically impossible. but it was as if the water was trying to kill me, and i was helpless against it. i think i was really, deeply afraid that the ocean would one day turn against me, and i would no longer have a home, or anywhere else to go and. Yeah i just keep thinking about this.
(20) — a positive memory of AFTERGLOW
i will answer this for the whole band!! uhm..... is it cheesy to say like... the whole journey of us becoming friends and becoming a band rising to stardom. because honestly there were so many good things that happened because of us being together and also choosing to stay together, despite everything, it makes me sob to think about and i'm not even a crybaby like himari !!! JOKES. i love you!
(21) — a negative memory of AFTERGLOW
not a memory per se but i had this deep-seated fear that you guys would end up forgetting about me or leaving me behind, since i didn't bring much to the band and always felt invisible. dhsjdsd i was. Very insecure about a lot of things despite acting positive, it was mostly to cope with my own fears. it's really irrational because you guys were always there for me and reassured me that i Wasn't unimportant and i cried a little and you joined in and then we all did..... so silly but i love you guys!!
(25) — someone you wish you were closer to or knew better
i have 2 canons for lumine, as the traveler and abyss princess, so i'll answer with both!! (spoilers) TRAVELER ; it's hard to say Names since i kinda wish i knew everyone better because i was always hopping from place to place, never being able to stay for too long, but probably childe. i never trusted him and i didn't really want to make amends since he betrayed us, but we had a weird rs where we actually saw each other often - for spars - but didn't talk much. look it's his fault because he only ever talked nonsense and didn't really want to answer questions. i knew about his family stuff, and i definitely sympathized with him, but ultimately i felt that he was delusional (literally) and his morals were also in the wrong places. you just don't wanna get too close to people like that. i do wish i understood him though, and i'd have probably tried harder to fix our rs. ABYSS PRINCESS ; i get somber thinking about ways i could've fixed my situation, if i was maybe closer with the archons. venti in particular, because i kinda thought of him as a strange person. i met him briefly in a bar during my time in mondstadt, he looked sad right until he saw me staring and then he smiled so wide and i immediately knew this guy was a faker. would i have been friends with him? no. two people can't be in grief together. at the same time i shouldn't have dismissed him so easily since he probably knew the most out of all the archons.
(27) — your partners and something you loved about them
TRAVELER ; just one, ayaka my forever girl i miss her so bad i wanna die. jokes. she was so kind to us and daresay the most beautiful girl i had ever laid my eyes on. i really regret having been so mean to her at first. i was just, like, tired and burnt out of everything at that point. despite it i'm so grateful she still chose my company for the festival, and even listened to my woes. she's a really good listener, i have never talked that much about my Issues and Problems and actually felt heard. what else ... she's the definition of grace, a real princess, i knew i was in Deep when she danced for me in the middle of the forest. the day before i left inazuma, she told me she loved me and i was Shocked. i didn't want to say it because it would be selfish, declaring love when i had to leave her, but it made me really happy. because there's nothing to not love about her and i'd come back to her again and again. her interest in international food was very endearing and gave me a reason to visit inazuma often to let her try the latest recipes i got from all around teyvat ABYSS PRINCESS ; also just one, i met dainsleif in khaenriah not even knowing where i had landed, when i just crashed into teyvat. honestly he was pretty annoying at first because he insisted on bodyguarding me everywhere, claiming he's actually “keeping watch to make sure i don't cause trouble”, but i realized soon that protection was just how he expressed his love and like that's really cute. my world crumbled when the cataclysm fell and he even let me cry into his chest, even though he was dealing with his own grief. he's just really selfless and kind and never gave himself enough credit for it. he took care of me when i got drunk off my ass, though he'll chastise me about how it's reckless, he'll tuck the blanket over me anyway, it's these little things that made me realize that i loved him too. my favorite thing about him is that he's really easy to fluster but he won't show it, like, if i pecked him on the cheek he won't blush or anything but his heart would start beating so fast (i know because i felt it). he's also very weak to sweet words, and returns it with his wholehearted devotion. i... really, deeply regret what became of us. i still loved him even when we parted ways, knowing it's for our own good. i don't know if he despised me after.
31 answered here!
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jacky-rubou · 1 year
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some Ford thoughts I'm putting under a cut for mentions of suicide (don't look if you're sensitive to that kind of stuff)
anyone else get the vibes that Ford's plan to send Stan far away to hide the journal was less of a "I need you as far away from me as possible because I still hate you but I need you to do this thing" and more of a "I'm planning on ending it all to save the world so I don't want you anywhere near me because I don't want you to witness it and it'll make it too hard" sort of thing or is that just me and I'm crazy?
like, what was he planning on doing back at his home on the occasion that Stan did what he was told and went away? dismantle the portal, sure, but Ford was still at high risk of being possessed by Bill every time he fell asleep. the next logical step in his mind would be to stop that from happening completely and he already learned how unsustainable trying to stay awake all the time really was.
we know he's got a severe martyrdom complex and now's his chance to take away Bill's only connection to the physical world through his death (as it would not be possible at this stage of his life to get the plate installed this early). it doesn't help that Ford hates himself and thinks the only way to atone for his mistakes is through losing his life fixing them (what Ford expected to happen at the Quadrangle of Qonfusion before the portal opened, anyone?) so to him, committing suicide to take Bill's "to the end of time" control away permanently is a no-brainer. if Bill can't control him, all the journals are nowhere to be found and the portal is destroyed, Ford would have won and saved the world. even if it meant he was no longer able to enjoy it due to being gone. He just... was at the end of his rope when Stan arrived. But ironically, Stan pushing him in the portal was what ultimately kept him from doing anything and gave him enough rope to keep holding on.
it's really good that Stan didn't follow his instructions under this interpretation of what Ford was planning on doing (but no matter what, it was a good thing anyway). it's also really sad that Ford could've thought this way. That he needed to die in order to make things right...
idk, I'm tired, and maybe I'm just not thinking right, but this has been on my mind all day. that's all I have to say on the matter. I am not forcing anyone to believe this to be the correct interpretation or anything, especially if they're uncomfortable with the grim topic, but yeah.
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I keep panicking about how I'm faking (and then about how I'm faking thinking I'm faking...I've reached a new level apparently) and everyone is so incredibly tired of it because I've been actively avoiding looking at anything system-related for 2 years specifically because I didn't want to confront the idea of me possibly being a system. I'll start panicking and everyone nearby will pop up like 'WE KNOW YOU'RE NOT FAKING OH MY GOODNESS'. Sorry guys, this ain't gonna go away anytime soon.
On another note, someone started talking to my friend more openly, and it seems like they're getting along, so that's good. She got stuck in front for 4 hours yesterday (usually she can't stay in front for longer than 45 minutes when she tries) so they took that time to chat. Mildly irritated 'cause I keep having to remind her, no, you can't flirt with my BFF, are you kidding me? And yet she still tries.
Also apparently we need to find positive triggers for someone to come to front because the person that got stuck for 4 hours was very unhappy, but anyone that could've fully(?) fronted either had only negative triggers known (Red), or no known triggers at all (me).
We're going swimming with our scouts on Sunday, so I'm excited for that, but I'm a little nervous because Red doesn't like swimming. Hopefully, she's not triggered to front at some point on Sunday because I love swimming, on the other hand. A couple of others may be triggered out, but I believe one of them likes swimming (especially underwater), and while I'm unsure about the other one, the first one says that the shallow end at least should be fine. I'm bringing my cane so I'm hoping we don't get any crap about it, lest one of our...less-water-fond Protectors front. Hopefully, it will be fine.
Also, can other alters have flashbacks without you having flashbacks? Someone was having rapid flashbacks last night while co-fronting, and I got a bit of the anxiety and stuff, but not enough for me to stop functioning. But someone else was co-fronting and panicking enough that we couldn't do our entire bedtime routine quick enough to get to bed, so we had to make makeshift grounding techniques until we got to bed and could do something more functional. I might've gotten a glimpse of some of the flashbacks, but I didn't have any emotion attached to it until my alter started panicking. Maybe I was panicking about them panicking, idk. The main question is, is that something that can happen? Or did I just make it up?
Sorry for all of the rambling, I'm tired and needed to get some thoughts out.
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lilacastar · 2 months
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KDA 19: Meantime
"When you became different," 5K began.
His breath paused, holding the smoke in longer than he would have normally.
"I knew something- I..."
Kalrick waited patiently, not rushing the stumbling words. 5K looked down, away from where his dark eyes stared.
"Do you remember Allison?"
"Your sister, yeah." She'd graduated before all of them, so his memory wasn't especially clear. But he seemed to remember her dropping by every once in a while.
"Yeah, she died."
"Oh." He re-situated the red cup in his hands, but it didn't help with any tension. "I'm so sorry. This probably isn't your first time telling me."
"It is actually. It happened when you started getting really busy, and those symbols got inked on you." He nodded at Kalrick's wrists. "You were really distracted and not around often. Didn't really have the time or emotional energy to bother you."
"I wish I could have been there for you, though."
"It is what it is." He shrugged. "But you know me. I've always had... Substance ish- issues. Allison had a blood clot we didn't know about. She hit her head and killed her pretty much instantly, nothing we could do about it."
"But you can control what goes in your body." Kalrick could already feel where it was going.
"Yeah," He nodded. "I've had addiction issues since- fuck, I don't even know how long. I started using in middle school but it didn't become a problem till later. I felt in control of the coke, acid, ecstasy. I guess her dying was all it took for it to- to go out of control. I picked up heroin."
Kalrick couldn't make eye contact with him any longer. If he had been there, been present... But he wasn't. He could've helped pick him back up. No one was there to care for him.
"I blew all my money but even that didn't stop me."
"What did?" He gestured back at him. "I mean, you're ok and still here."
"I died, Kalrick. I overdosed, and it flat lined me for over 5 minutes."
He couldn't tell if it was the smoke or the weight of 5Ks words that made his head dizzy. If he had just been there, but he wasn't.
"My brain got derived- deprived of oxygen and gave me anoxic brain injury. The dose that kicked me was laced with fentanyl, and I have permeant brain damage. Mostly just gives me tremors and concentration problems. Sometimes I lose my words."
"Damn, I don't know what to say. I've sort of jumped back in and made everything about me. If I can help at all just tell me what."
He shook his head. "You don't need to do anything, promise. Just time will help. They say you can recover for years now, when they used to think it was in the first 6 months."
"Man, but I feel like if I was around I could have gotten you help sooner."
"Don't say that, I did some disappointing things to get better. You're the one who deserved better, cause I'm the one who got help in the end. I got rehab, and you got taken advantage of"
"Then lets not think about it. We're here after all, might as well be present now."
"I can second that."
The door knocked, disrupting their conversation.
"Come on in!" 5K shouted.
Randle entered, shuffling through to where they sat.
"Smells like a hotbox in here," He coughed. "Kalrick, how did you even get here?"
"Teleported." Kalrick nodded.
"Then why can't you teleport to wherever it is you need me to take you?"
"Cause it's exhausting and thought it'd be a great bonding experience. I also can't go places alone and don't ask me to explain but only certain places are teleport-able."
"Is this what you do all day?" He gestured to 5K. "I don't think I've ever seen you go to work, which is where I just came from."
"I'm on disability, not that it's any of your business." 5K rolled his eyes.
"You're right, it's not my business. I'm just tired."
"You don't have to help if you're tired," Kalrick said. "I just thought we all were in this now. And I don't know, it feels good to hang out again. We used to research this type of stuff all the time."
"We did," Randle gazed reminiscently. "I haven't picked that stuff up in a long time though."
"There's nothing you practice? Or I don't know, work with or research?"
"Not really. Kal, I like astrology. Like, reading my horoscope or getting my palm read. Demons, spells, tarot- I liked doing that with you specifically."
"Oh."
Kalrick found himself unable to fathom this information. It seemed like that stuff was all they did together. It always seemed like Randle was having a good time and enjoying himself.
"Well," Randle crossed his arms, looking down at them. "Are we going to follow your lead or keep smoking weed on the couch?"
"I could smoke some more." 5K remarked.
"Let's get started," Kalrick gathered his bag.
"Where did you have in mind?" Randle asked.
"Honestly, I don't know which tattoo place I hit up. I was just going to go to all the nearest ones until I found the one someone named Valery works at."
"Why not just call them and ask?"
"Oh. Uh, I guess I didn't think of that."
"I guess you still have use for me after all."
"I've always had use for you. I like being around you."
He turned to the door. "Let's just get going."
But Kalrick could've sworn he saw the edge of a smile.
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MY THOUGHTS ON THE TOTAL DRAMA REBOOT (BOTH SEASONS)
WARNING: This post contains spoilers for both seasons of Total Dram's Reboot. Just as a head's up.
Since I never intend on discussing the series on my channel (at least not until it gets an official release in the US...thx for that WB/Max) I'll share my thoughts on the Total Drama Reboot (both seasons in context) here in detail. I'll be doing so through explaining my thoughts on the characters.
If you want my basic thoughts on both season first, here's the gist:
SEASON 1: Excellent from start to finish. Minus a few glaring issues the show has been known for (gross out jokes/fart jokes), it was absolutely phenomenal. A real & true breath of fresh air after a streak of shit seasons (not including Ridonculous Race <3) | 9.5/10
SEASON 2: This season had a lot to prove since it was gonna bring back the cast and we all know what happens when Total Drama insists on keeping characters longer than necessary. I was pleasantly surprised when they dodged a bullet and made a damn good second season with the cast. The new writing team has given this series a much-needed edge to put it back on the map. That said, some of the characters very clearly stayed on for too long or in one person's case...won the whole damn season. It suffered from keeping certain characters around for too long but it did give some (mainly my boi Caleb) some much needed screentime and development. | Gets a 8/10.
Now onto the character stuff.
First things first: Here's the tier list I made for the cast. It'll help as I explain myself per each placement.
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Ok so let's start from the bottom and make our way to the top cuz I'd like to end this on a positive note.
No. Just. No Tier
Chase: Easily one of the most annoying characters in the entire show. I know that's the point, cuz he's a shitty influencer type who cares mostly about himself and the views. I totally get that. But that's ALL he was. We often saw him be a nuisance who cared more about himself or impressing Emma. I didn't laugh at him not once. He was just plain awful. And if that was the point, then good shit writers, I guess lol
Emma: Sadly she suffered from being attached to Chase. Her whole reason for being on the show was just connected to Chase. It was also the point for her but what gets me is that she was a tour de force outside of Chase's shadow. This was proven when she tried focusing on herself and was besties with Bowie. Those were glimmers of hope. And I was hoping she'd come back stronger post-S1 upon learning that Chase lied to her. But in the end, Emma was just...kinda there until she left.
Millie: Nah fam, I couldn't stand her. Started out fine enough and was fun to have around, but once she started moving forward in the game with Priya in the alliance, I started growing tired of her. I'm glad she started taking the game seriously but man oh man it was too late. Didn't need to see her in that finale, but she's lucky it was for the sake of reconciling with Priya. And the less said about her time in S2, the better. Just glad she left early.
Ripper: Fuck Ripper. He wasn't funny. He had a few good lines here & there but was just...not great. If you like him, that's cool. His relationship with Axel was admittedly adorable though. Not enough to make me like him but still cute nonetheless lol
WASTED POTENTIAL & MEH TIERS
Gonna combine these two since they have one character each in there.
Nichelle: Sweetie, I'm so sorry. We were all rooting for you. you were a victim of high expectations just by design alone. And it's a shame cuz you could've been great. You left in S1 so early & that hurt like hell. But then you came back swinging in S2 and kicked ass...until you fell for such a shitty tactic. Brilliant on Julia's part but fuck y'all for not giving Nichelle more time to shine.
Axel: I don't have much to say on her tbh. She was just kinda in the middle for me. She honestly would've been much higher if she wasn't dragged down by her lovey-dovey relationship with Ripper as S2 went on. Still adorable pairing tho. Glad she was around a bit more in S2 tho.
GOOD & GREAT TIERS
Wayne: I suppose I'll start with S2's winner. I love Wayne. He's a great friend & ally to Raj, on top of just being hella funny. Love what he was all about. Sadly, S2 didn't do him any favors. He was still the lovable goof we know & love but it felt like his IQ took a bit of a nosedive between seasons. And on top of that, IDK how tf he reached the finale over Raj. Again, I love Wayne. I really do. But him winning S2 was...a choice.
Zee: Funny af guy. Crazy how he got sent away for similar reasons twice. I don't have any critiques of the guy. He was funny everytime he was on screen. He's just good. Not great, but good. Loved him.
MK: This lady would've been a bit lower if I was only talking about S1. But the writers gave her a major glow up in S2. Seriously, her & Julia's friendship is some excellent TV. Seeing them work together and fuck around with everyone was fun to watch. She's never been a fave for me but I do appreciate having her around.
Damien: Oh honey, you were robbed. Damien was one of my faves from the beginning. Was hoping for more from him in S1 but realized he left at the perfect time, otherwise he would've gotten annoying af. S2 however...my man stepped the fuck up & I'm so damn glad. He was SO GOOD and he made merge. And then my heart broke when he got sent packing. I knew the moment he found that idol he was done for. He was gonna lose it. I hated it. He could've reached the finale.
MY FAVES TIER
Scary Girl: Scary motherfucker who had some of the best lines/moments throughout S1. I appreciated the writing for her in S2, even if it didn't quite stick the landing...that is, until she returned in the finale. She was back to her crazy self and I loved every minute of it. Entertaining character from start to finish.
Julia: Easily the second best antagonist in this reboot. One of the best surprises in the reboot. Holy shit, Julia was given all the good shit. Whether it was the writing or character moments, Julia basically delivered what I look for in villain in Total Drama. One thing that bitch is gonna do is find a way to win immunity by any means necessary and honey, she's a challenge beast in the right circumstances.
Priya: Ah yes, S1's winner. One of the best competitors in Total Drama. She was made for shit like this, as explained to us by her lol. I loved her in S1, cuz she was hella focused and stayed in the game despite being let down by Millie at every turn. Don't cross Priya y'all homegirl will win lol. S2 Priya was solid and I especially loved her budding relationship with Caleb, despite all the hiccups. She kinda lost her focus when Caleb came up but even that didn't entirely stop her from kicking ass. Also kudos to Total Drama & I having characters named Priya.
TOP TIER
Bowie: The baddest bitch out there. I've spoken at length about how I'd love to see more prominent queer black rep in mainstream media not centered around being punchlines or tragedy. And Total Drama delivered just that to me on a silver platter. Bowie is literally everything I was looking for in great queer rep. Best part? He was well-written. Dude was written perfectly from start to finish in S1. Every move he made was executed well. Even when he fumbled, he found a way back on top. His rivalry with Julia is perfection. His friendship with Emma was cute...wish they rekindled it. And of course his relationship with Raj was so damn cute. Speaking of Raj...
Raj: Y'all gave me not one but TWO queer POC in the same season?? And they ended up together??? Total Drama you're spoiling me! Raj is one half of the hockey bros. And he was my fave of the duo. Raj just kept surprising me as the show went on. When I realized he was gay, I screamed. Jaw dropped...I really thought Bowie would be the only one. So glad I was wrong. Similar to Wayne however, his IQ did drop a bit in S2 but it wasn't as bad compared to the former. I would've preferred him to reach the finale over Wayne. Raj v. Caleb v. Julia would EAT DOWN.
And finally...
Caleb: From a first boot to a literal king of the game. Caleb was one of the biggest surprises in the show and I'm so thankful he did the dam thing in S2. Seriously, Caleb could've been another one of the show's infamous first boot punching bags. He was the one I was cautiously optimistic about coming back for S2. What was he gonna do? Was he actually a threat as Bowie assumed? How will Caleb turn out character-wise beyond the good looks? All of that was answered and then some in the first ep of S2. He made a point to be a great asset to his team. He's the embodiment of the hot guy who's got a great balance of brain & brawn, while also being a very nice guy. I especially appreciated his whole thing with Priya. I was almost certain they were gonna reach the finale ngl lol. If there were ANY justice in the world, it would've been a Caleb v. Julia finale instead of what we got. But hey, at least he made it to the end. Biggest glow up from a Total Drama character.
Annnnd that's all I've got. If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Share your own thoughts in the replies below. These are just my thoughts and I've been holding them in ever since S1 got leaked last year. With both seasons out, I just felt like it was time to finally speak on them since I had no plans to make a video. As I said, maybe I'll still make one if there's interest...but no promises.
Anyway, thx again for reading & until next time, peace out!
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Hey, it’s the anon from yesterday with the long, depressing ask. Decided to come off anon since I realized no one here knows me anyway lol. First of all, thank you so much for answering, it meant a lot to me and you made me feel a little better, though I’m still iffy about all of this, I can’t help it. The timing is just so weird to me. I really don’t wanna sound greedy but they could’ve done one last tour (since they apparently missed performing so much anyway?) and then get out with a Big Bang but this… There has to be something going on behind the scenes that they aren’t telling. I’m sure it is because Jimin said something similar in the Festa video, no? Ugh I just hate it when I have a feeling abt something but can't seem to find out what it is because I'm constantly imagining strange scenarios in my head that trigger my anxiety -- I love being me ✌🏼
Also, I just woke up, did I miss something or what makes you think this break will last for five years? That's such a long time, I can't for the life of me imagine that this is going to work... and I know this is controversal but I don't think their solo careers will be that successful in the long run.
Many fans (myself included) have become fans because they like the dynamic of the band itself, how they treat each other, how funny they are etc. I can't imagine bts without a single one of them and I love them all as a group, but not really on their own. I know this sounds bad and I swear I don't mean to offend anyone but I don't vibe with some of the members individually, though I do love them all together. Does that make sense? Again, I'm not trying to hate I'm just saying I won't force myself to like a members solo stuff, if I simply don't.
Hi! Nice to meet you! Don't be scared to come off anon! I think we're all invisible on this site. I barely have any followers, haha.
I get the timing being weird. I don't get it either. A lot of people were thinking they'd go on tour before Jin's probable enlistment, so I don't know why they didn't. I thought the LA, Seoul and LV concerts were only the beginning. But I guess a longer tour would've been exhausting and required a lot of planning. They said the PTD concerts were really tiring because they had no solos, but adding solo performances would've required a lot of practice, so that would've been challenging too? Maybe they had no time? I've no idea. It's weird. They were happy to finally perform, and I think they could've toured as seven for a little longer. Dunno...
What did Jimin hint at? Didn't he just mean that, in general, they couldn't be totally honest, which is why they are only now sharing all of this? That's how I understood it...
Maybe I should've explained myself better, sorry... I went on Reddit (always a big mistake, I hate that place), and someone posted that Armys were delusional for thinking BTS would comeback within two years. Since all the members might only enlist the year of their 30th birthday, it could be that the next group comeback will be after JK returns, and that would be more than five years from now. That's when I started to freak out, lol. Sorry! There was no announcement. This is all speculation, though it is rumored that next week we'll get news about their enlistment...
And I absolutely understand what you mean about their dynamic. I'll watch JK's solo vlives, but even as a huge JK stan, I find it a bit boring when he's not singing or when I don't really miss him. I've seen all his recent lives, but I missed a few ones back in 2020. I also love Jin and Suga the most after JK but couldn't find it in me to watch their solo vlives. Since I need to read subtitles and they're not super dynamic, I end up not watching them. Sometimes I can't commit to watching anything because I feel too drained... Right now I'm actually in the process of watching lives I missed, but I'm starting with the group lives and then my biases. I won't watch a lot of lives for sure. The thing with vlives is that if you watch them the day after they come out with subtitles, it's fun; but if you forget, then you miss your chance and never watch them haha. They keep piling up so it gives me anxiety.
Anyway, what I meant by the vlives is that the best ones are by far the OT7 ones, and then there are a few units I love, as well as my biases. My interest in watching a vlive depends on who's in it, and that's a good representation of what I feel for the group. I too love them as seven, but I'm not equally interested in them individually. I don't vibe with some of the members too. I love J-Hope, but he's also my least favorite member in many ways, though it pains me to say it. I'm usually only interested in him in BTS or when he interacts with the other members. I can't really connect with him solo, though I wish him the best and will listen to his album. But I know I won't follow his career too closely. I also love V and RM, but can't say I'll be super interested in what they do solo either.
I don't think you're being mean or offensive. That's just being human... Unlike them, we don't know them nor spend time with them. It's normal that we can't love them equally. It's a miracle that BTS do.
Thanks for the ask! I'm glad I made you feel even a tiny bit better. As you saw in my last post, I'm not doing super great either haha! Sending you a virtual hug!
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funtimebunnyblog · 3 years
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Me: *receives this request*
Me: *sips my 3rd coffee of the day from my raccoon mug in the pitch dark of my room* 
Me: My time has come...
Pillarmen (separate) with a coffee addicted, sarcastic, career focused s/o (who doesn’t get enough sleep)...
(under the cut for length!)
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Kars:
"Have you eaten today?" The Pillarmen questioned you, looming over your desk in the dark of your Office.
"Yes." You answered simply, not bothering to tear your eyes from the laptop screen or the sea of words it held sitting before you. Kars however knew better than to leave it at just that, folding his arms across his chest as he cocked an eyebrow.
Kars frowned to himself as his eyes took in your workspace, trying not to focus on the fact that was littered with disorganized papers, food wrappers and a few empty mugs.
He would never let his desk degenerate into something even close to this mess.
"Alright. What did you eat?"
Kars clicked his tongue, letting out the sigh he knew he was going to make upon making the decision to check in on you in the first place. He had known very well this conversation would be steered into a direction like this.
A silence fell over the room, your the clicking of keyboard keys stalling for the briefest second before resuming.
"Coffee." Came the answer.
"Coffee is NOT a meal." He said curtly.
"I know it's not a meal, it's a vegetable." You replied without missing a single beat.
He pursed his lips, "Now what makes you say that?"
"It came from beans."
"Something to eat first, then you may finish your work. And then it's straight to bed with you." He ordered, carrying you downstairs to the kitchen. It was late and he knew that if he didn't set these boundaries you would be hunched over, typing away at your messy little desk all hours of the night.
Without another word you were picked up out of your office chair like nothing more than a common house cat and thrown over his shoulder, the massive man rolled his eyes as you whined that you had only a couple more pages to do and you were trying to finish.
He ignored your protests as much as he disregarded the sluggish pounds of your fists on his backside.
Needless to say, he didn't want a repeat of last time that happened. Coffee and redbull brew was a potent mixture he wanted to keep out of your reach from now on, no matter how tired you claimed to be.
"Ok, Mom." You bit back, finally giving up on your futile squirming for the night. You shot him your best glare as he set you down on the kitchen counter, the rings under your bleary eyes only becoming more prominent as he once again ignored your words and your stare, getting right into fixing you something quick to eat.
Kars wasn't a person to be spoken to in that way by anyone (they never usually lived long enough to get such remarks out) but you were much different of course. In fact, your sharp tongue was easily matched by his quick wit; it only made you an even stronger pair to be reckoned with in his opinion.
With only a quirk of his lips as a response to your sarcastic quip, a cookie was shoved into your mouth.
"Here. Perhaps this will sweeten up your sour, my child." He said, now fully getting on your level as he busied himself making you a sandwich.
A smile curled at the corners of your full mouth as you chewed away, your demeanor just a little lighter as sweet chocolate goodness tickled your senses. However, chocolate did little to coat the silver of your tongue.
"Bite me." You spat playfully, a few crumbs escaping your lips along with the words.
"You know better than to threaten me with a good time, dearest." Kars responded, not even lifting his eyes from the cutting board as he sliced away at a cucumber.
You nearly choked on the sweet you were savoring as you doubled over in laughter, making Kars smile to himself in triumph.
Esidisi:
"What are you doing?" Esidisi watched you with curious interest as you began to depart from the kitchen, just seconds after making your entrance, the entire pot of black coffee he had just prepared in your hand.
The steaming pot of rich and buzzing Caffeine was snatched from your grasp in a fraction of a second, you blinked to find squirming tendrils of veins spiriting it away back to your Husband.
"I'm flipping oyster burgers for the King of Spain, what does it look like?" You asked without even a thought, an impressive feat as it seemed like you were mere seconds away from falling over.
Disheveled wasn't even a word to describe your appearance. Your hair in disarray and wearing the same clothes as you had yesterday; you looked like you had been put through the ringer not once but a few times.
"Hey!" You cried, fully turning on him. It only made the smirk at the corner of his mouth grow as you advanced on him, stomping angrily as you went; inevitably you were only making yourself more adorable in his eyes. "Give that back! I need to get some work done!"
Taking the entire pot with you was the most elegant solution in your eyes rather than coming back downstairs every so often to refill your mug. You definitely needed the quantity of this pot if you wanted to stay awake any longer to complete your workload.
"Ah ah ah, not so fast little oyster flipper!" He laughed, holding the pot far out of your reach and pushing you at arms length as you attempted to make a grab for it.
Esidisi was always amused by your fiery determination when it came down to your work and the lengths you went through to get it done but he knew when enough was enough.
"What I want to know is, did you get any sleep last night?" He questioned, a bare brow raising; a look betraying his genuine concern for you in the midst of his jest.
The Pillarman was not going to let you take the pot of coffee all the way back to your office to chug like an oversized movie soda as you pushed through more piles of papers. You had been up there practically three days straight, basically just surviving on the stuff at this point.
If you weren't going to take care of yourself, he supposed he'd just have to do it for you.
"Er... uh..."
You blinked slowly, the raw stinging of your eyes didn't quite help you in forming a convincing response.
You could've swore you nodded off once, maybe twice, at your desk sometime in the middle of the night but you weren't sure for how long exactly. It probably didn't even come close to qualifying as "sleep" in terms of rest.
"Mm-hmm. That's what I thought." He hummed, putting the pot of coffee back in its rightful place. A sound of surprise managed to escape your lips as he picked you up, carrying you out of the kitchen like you were nothing more than a toddler.
"Wh-Where are we going?" You questioned, blinking stupidly and trying to recover from your slight shock.
"Hmm, not Spain. Sorry, you won't be flipping any burgers today, my little spit-fire." He responded, his tone fluid enough to rival your second-nature sarcasm.
Your lips came together, squirming in his hold as you connected the dots. "I can't go to bed! I still have woooork!" You whined, pushing against him as if that would do anything in his powerful grasp. "I'm not tired!"
"Really? Oh, you could've fooled me." He chuckled, the rumbling of his chest against yours only making sleepy shivers dance through your body.
"I just need some coffee! That's all, c'mon!"
"No more coffee for you. You drank enough to last you a fortnight, yesterday."
He was so warm and comfortable, a much better feeling than any sized mug of coffee you could guzzle down would leave you; your fidgeting had come to a complete stop without you realizing it.
"I just..." You were cut off by a yawn forcing its way out of you. "...just a few more... p-papers..."
"Not today you're not." He chided softly, a hand rubbing tender little circles into your back with heated fingers. You knew that he knew it was only making you more sleepy (not to mention more frustrated) by the second. "You're having a sleep, something proper to eat later and a shower and then you can work and drink all the coffee you want."
Just a few more papers. Just a few more papers.... Just a few more papers.... Just... a few... more...
By the time Esidisi had reached the top of the stairs, your struggle had ceased all together and you had fallen limp in his arms; completely and utterly asleep.
The litany in your head fell silent as your eyelids drooped, losing yourself in the warmth of your Husbands embrace as the swaying of his movement rocked you as he walked along.
So many cheeky things you wanted to say died like flickering embers in your brain, unable to escape your lips this time.
Wamuu:
"Beloved?" The Warrior pushed open the door to your office, peering into the dark room with a frown. "Are you in here?"
"No. I'm on the Moon." Your voice (sounding a little worn but still holding that familiar pinch of playfulness) cut through the dark, coming right from your desk where you were hunched over and drawing away; the dim light from your tablet was the only thing cutting through the shadows of your cave.
He couldn't help but notice it was the exact spot he had left you when he departed early this morning to go do some training.
Warm, golden light shrouded you and your cluttered desk area, making you blink in surprise. You hadn't really realized that it had gotten dark at all and for the briefest of seconds you wondered how late exactly it had gotten; you shook your head quickly as you regained your focus on your work.
Nonetheless, Wamuu smiled softly and entered your workspace. It was an easy feat for the Pillarman to make his way through despite the darkness cloaking the room as he had most excellent night vision.
However, upon reaching your side, he reached over and flicked on your table lamp. He knew that the dark wasn't exactly doing your Human vision much good.
"Thank you." You mumbled, swiping your digital pen across the screen with slow and careful movements.
Wamuu hummed softly, leaning over you with a curious eye to see your work better.
"That looks very nice." He commented, the corners of his full lips tugging into a sweet smile as he admired your handiwork. You never ceased to amaze him with your little drawings and sketches.
You needed to get this piece done by the weekend and you wanted it done today so it could be out of your way. Each slip up of your hand or a line only made you feel more exhausted and more picky, lines overlapped and blurred and you could no longer take in the picture anymore; just your mistakes and its flaws.
A tired sigh escaped your lips, "I just can't get the shading right. I think I've had to redo it 8 times now..." you grumbled, only getting increasingly frustrated at the setback, a hand unconsciously reaching up to scrub at your eye.
Your eyeballs were starting to burn from focusing on the screen too long, a feeling much akin to being rubbed raw with sandpaper.
"Have you been drawing all day?" He questioned, turning his gaze down to the crown of your head with worry.
The Warriors smile fell as he took in your awry state more closely, he definitely didn't miss the umpteen mugs of coffee littering your space (some of which were only half-finished and long gone cold by now).
Did you even move at all while he had been gone? When was the last time you showered? Ate? Changed your clothes?
Really it was the best answer you could give, all you knew was that it was dark and you were sore and tired and your hand was cramping... so it was more than likely you had spent the entirety of the day working.
Once again, your movements stalled before slowly regaining focus, your movements slothy and lacking your usual grace.
"I guess..." you answered lamely.
Again.
Wamuu shook his head, you had been drawing all night last night and you had promised to go to bed after he kissed you goodbye this morning. It was obvious you forgot your promise and kept working.
The drawing tablet was easily plucked from your grasp, making you jump in surprise and reflexively make a grab for it.
"Wamuu-- wha--?!"
"This won't do." He said, quickly hitting the save button on your piece of art as he pulled the tablet further from your reach. "You're done for today."
"What? No! I--" You made an attempt to snatch it back but the hulking man wasn't having any of it, gazing down at you with stern double-ringed emeralds.
For now, he was taking matters into his own hands.
"No. You've worked far too long. Look at you beloved, you've become nothing but a shell!" He chastised, walking past you and placing your tablet on the highest shelf of your office; far, far from your reach.
You would only get it back once you were rested and cared for.
He pushed open the bathroom door with careful ease, not even struggling as he held you and set you down on the toilet.
You were picked up with ease, cradled in the Warriors arms like he was rescuing you from the battlefield as he marched out of the room. Your whines and cries and pleas to be put down went ignored, even as you pounded weakly on his chest.
You had originally thought he was taking your straight to the bedroom to put you down for a sleep but no, he walked right past the room without even a passing glance.
"Sit there." He told you, pressing a tender kiss to your head; the softness of his actions rendering you silent. "Let me handle this."
Your previous protests, your frustrations and any and all thoughts to your work had died all together by the time you two had stripped and were sitting comfortably in the warm scented water.
You blinked, watching him as he puttered around the bathroom; filling the tub with warm water and adding a generous portion of your favorite bathsoap, making a luscious and soothing scent fill the air and your senses.
A warm bath together would do you both some good, he was a little rumpled from training all day himself and you were worn down from your own work. Wamuu always enjoyed washing your hair and bathing together was always a good de-stressor in his eyes.
"You're too persuasive," you remarked, the words coming out as more of a sigh as he combed his fingers through your damp hair.
You hated to admit it but this was just what you needed; you could literally feel all the stress and overwork just washing away with the water rolling over you.
Wamuu chuckled softly, squeezing some of your favourite shampoo into his huge palm. "And You're negligent of your own needs. But don't worry, that's why I'm here..."
Santana:
"You are tired."
"I'm not tired!" You groaned, the exasperation in your voice was short-lived as the corners of your lips quirked up into a teeny grin. "...I'm y/n."
Santana tilted his head, pursing his lips. Usually you would chuckle at his obvious confusion (Santana still couldn't quite grasp puns and dry humor like sarcasm well, despite it being something you used more than often) but today you were too busy to sit down and explain it, let alone spend any time with him.
You still had work to pick at upstairs and judging by how things were going, you weren't going to be done anytime soon.
It didn't help the fact that Santana was becoming increasingly worried about you; he had caught you pouring yourself a bowl of orange juice and a glass of cereal this morning when you begrudgingly trudged downstairs for breakfast. The growling of your stomach neglecting its needs had become too unbearable.
Either way; you weren't going to let the fact you haven't seen a bed (or a fresh change of clothes) in days stop you.
"I just need to get some work done, Santana..." you sighed, emptying the pot of coffee into your mug. "I have a deadline at the end of the week."
"Sleep is for the weak." You replied, bringing the steaming mug to your lips for the first sip.
"You have not slept in days." He pointed out, the deep timber of his voice rumbling around the room. You could feel his eyes staring into your back as you fumbled around the kitchen.
Damn him for being so perceptive.
"Your kind is very weak." Came the immediate and factual response. "You require sleep to function and survive."
Like it or not, he was spitting straight facts.
You nearly choked on the gulp of hot liquid, it burned in your throat as his words hit you. Your mate watched as you opened your mouth and fumbled with a response to conteract that statement; ultimately having nothing.
It was always hard to argue when you felt so sluggish, your brain running just as well as an old windows computer, let alone when Santana stood there blinking so innocently.
You groaned, shuffling out of the room; mug in hand and the migrane you had been trying to rid of slowly regaining its pounding pulse in your temples.
"Oh honey, I'll be fine..." you whined, trying to ignore his eyes still watching you as you began your slothy trek up the stairs. "I may be a 'Primitive lifeform' but I can handle a little work."
The Pillarman watched you go, frowning to himself as you disappeared up the stairs; the hard shut of the door to your office the only sound following your exit.
Your energy was very low, he had only seen you eat a handful of times and it seemed like you were running into walls and doors more often than the average Human lately.
Santana was getting worried.
The hours of the morning ticked bye, eventually Noon rolled around and then passed and you didn't come down for lunch (or more coffee). The primal instincts of protecting you as his mate inevitably kicked in and Santana found himself at the door to your office, peering in with a curious eye.
There he was met with the sight of you slumped over at your desk, your back rising and falling slowly and rhythmically. The sounds of your soft breath hit his sharp ears, even from all the way across the room, and he found himself wandering in, coming right up beside you where you lay crumpled.
You stirred slightly, making his hair stand on end as a groan barely passed your lips before you settled down again, resuming your quiet snoring.
Upon further inspection he found your eyes were closed, cheek smooshed right against the wood of the desk and papers sticking uncomfortably to your face. Even your pen was still gripped in hand.
His eyes skimmed over some loose papers, nothing but meaningless words and numbers scrawled across the white without rhyme and reason to him but always it held some deeper meaning to you; your supposed work.
Your coffee had barely been touched, gone cold and sitting quite forlorn among the foodwrappers and empty water bottles and papers scattered across your workspace. Santana reached for the mug, sniffing curiously at the coal black liquid sloshing around inside. Throughout all the time he had known you, you always had a strange attachment to this drink; you claimed it was what kept you functioning.
Curiosity got the best of him and he brought it to his lips for a taste, wondering the exact appeal of it. He shuddered, growling, almost spitting the shallow mouthful of it out and turning his head away as the bitter and cold liquid overwhelmed his senses as it slipped down his throat...
Disgusting.
He brought the mug to his mouth again, unable to stop himself as he dove in for his second taste; doing the very same thing as before.
Not bad, actually.
The red-haired Pillarman pulled the mug close a third time, throwing his head back gulping back the liquid as if his life depended on it. Licking his lips and blinking rapidly, he cradled the now empty mug to his bare chest as his nostrils flared and toes curled, riding out the waves of it overpowering his senses.
It was so terrible but so good at the same time; so good he didn't want it to end but so terrible he wished the bitter and overpowering aftertaste would leave his tongue.
He turned his attention back to you, with a tilt of his head. You were still sleeping, nonethewiser to his very presence; it was likely you would stay that way for some time.
With only a moments thought he shuffled out of the room quickly, returning just moments later with a blanket and pillow in tow.
You needed your sleep to function, as he had told you, so he would leave you to it as he went downstairs to prepare more of that delicious "coffee" for when you woke.
With all the carefulness in the world, a massive hand slipped under you, lifting your face just inches off the had desk as he slipped the cushy pillow under you and let you down softly.
Gently, he draped the blanket over your back before leaning down, smoothing your hair and pressing a soft kiss to your temple.
He planned on having another mug himself.
Or two mugs.
Or five.
Or maybe three pots worth...
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COSMIC - S1:E1; Chapter One, The Vanishing of Will Byers - [Pt. 3 - FINAL]
A Will Byers x Male!Reader Series
𝘖𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥'𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥.
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|| 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 ||
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. The guys and I were quick to pack up our belongings before making a beeline for Mr. Clarke's desk, eager to see if the Heathkit came. All the while Mr. Clarke was reminding the already fleeting class of our homework assignment.
"Remember, finish chapter 12 and answer 12.3 on the difference between an experiment and other forms of science investigation. This will be on the test, which will cover chapters 10 through 12. It will be multiple choice with an essay section." His voice faltered towards the end of his sentence as he realized no one had been paying attention.
His head turned to us and he didn't seem too surprised to see us so eager. Mike couldn't take the wait any longer and spoke up on the behalf of all of us.
"So, did it come?"
Mr. Clarke looked solemn. "Sorry, guys," Our heads began to hang in disappointment at his words. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... It came!"
My face lit up with relief. We followed Mr. Clarke down the halls in anticipation. Mike got to the door first and eagerly threw it open, the rest of us close on his tail.
"Yes!"
Since Mike was the first through the door, naturally he dove for the desk chair as the rest of us scuttled over each other, each of trying to get a close look at it. Lucas and I seemed to have the same idea as we fiddled with the knobs on the Heathkit as Mr. Clarke addressed the new device we were all so eager to see.
"The Heathkit ham shack," The boys and I were in awe.
"Ain't she a beaut?" Mr. Clarke sighed. Dustin then spoke up. "I bet you could talk to New York on this thing."
"Think bigger." Said Mr. Clarke. I rose my eyebrow and looked to my teacher as I questioned, "California?"
"Bigger." 'No way.'
"Australia?" Mike pressed. We all turned out heads hopefully to Mr. Clarke as he responded with a smile and the shake of his head. We all exclaimed.
"Oh man," Lucas chuckled in excitement. "When Will sees this, he's totally gonna blow his shit." My smile faltered at the mention of Will, as Mr. Clarke scolds Lucas for his foul language. Lucas apologized turning back to the Heathkit, and I shake my head slightly trying to get my mind off of Will.
Lucas seems to have found the right settings on the dials based on the high pitch frequencies coming out of the Heathkit. Mike has the headphones on and begins to speak into the mic in an Australian accent.
"'Ello, this is Mike Wheela', president of Hawkins Middle AV Club."
Dustin then practically ripped the headphones off of Mike's head, a big goofy grin on his face as he placed them on his head. Mike was in a fit of giggles as he spoke. "What are you doing?" Dustin proceeded to do the exact same thing as Mike just moments ago.
"'Ello, this is Dustin, and this is the secretary and treasurer of Hawkins Middle AV Club. Do you eat kangaroos for breakfast?" I giggle, shaking my head thinking about the poor confused soul who is stuck listening to the boys ramble on. As Lucas grabs for the headphones, I turn around so I'm facing Mr. Clarke, and I give a polite, yet warm smile. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome Mr. Henderson," He returned the smile, seeming appreciative of the fact that at least one of us said 'Thank you'. He has always been a great teacher, and I don't think anybody ever really appreciates or even thanks him very much. I can't imagine how frustrating it can be as a teacher. I laugh to myself at the sight of my friends playfully fighting over who gets to use it next, when our fun gets cut short at the sound of a knock on the door. We all turn our heads to see the Principle walk in, a couple of men behind him.
"Sorry to interrupt, but, uh, may I borrow Y/N, Michael, Lucas, and Dustin?" To say my stomach dropped would be an understatement as I got a better look at the men out in the hallway and realized it was the Chief and one of his officers.
My mouth ran dry.
'Will.'
The four of were seated on the couch in the Principal's office, Chief Hopper, and officer Callahan - I believe his name was - seated in chairs opposite us. I was seated between Mike and Dustin, I kept my mouth shut unless told otherwise, and my hands have woven together in my lap, much too afraid to do otherwise. The boys, on the other hand, were freaking out and all trying to speak at once. I tried nudging them warningly with my elbows but they just ignored me. It seemed I had made the right choice in being quiet, as Hopper seemed to have gotten impatient almost immediately.
"Okay, okay, okay. One at a time all right? You." He points Mike. Mike shakes his head. "You said he takes what?"
"Mirkwood."
"Mirkwood." His face scrunched up in confusion.
"Yes," I croaked involuntarily, wanting to explain to him that it is just our name for road.
"Have you ever heard of Mirkwood?" He turned to the officer.
"I have not. That sounds made up to me." The officer replied. This timid, awkward man gave me the impression he was more of a 'Yes-man' and knew nothing about what he was doing.
"No, it's from Lord of the Rings."
'Oh, here we go.' I think to myself, sighing.
"Well, The Hobbit."
Mike and I look at each other, knowing what's happening.
"It doesn't matter." Lucas retorted.
"Knock it off!" I warn, trying my best to throw my whisper across the couch without drawing attention to myself.
"He asked!" Dustin nearly shouted.
"Guys!" I hissed.
"'He asked'" Lucas mimicking Dustin, not even listening to me.
I looked over at Mike for help but he is already checked out.
They continue talking over each other in a childish manner and the chief leans forward trying to silence them.
"Hey, hey, hey!" They quieted down finally. "What'd I just say? One at a damn time. You." He nodded to me. He seemed to tolerate just Mike and me.
"Mirkwood, as Mike was saying. It is a real road. It's just the name that's made up, it's what we call it. It's where Cornwallis and Kerley meet." I finish.
He seems satisfied, finally having a straightforward answer. He leans back in his chair, talking now to Callahan.
"Yeah, all right, I think I know that—"
"We can show you, if you want." Mike offered hopefully, cutting the chief off mid-sentence.
"I said that I know it!"
"We can help look."
"Yeah" Dustin added hopefully.
"No."
And just like that, the boys begin to talk over each other once again. Knowing better than to waste my breath trying to shut them up, I sit back once again, hands in my lap waiting for the Chief to continue.
"No," He says loud enough to quiet the boys. "After school, you are to all go home. Immediately. That means no biking around looking for your friend, no investigating, no nonsense. This isn't some Lord of the Rings book."
"The Hobbit."
"Shut up!" Lucas gave Dustin a swat on the arm.
Dustin reached over and hit Lucas back, knocking me and Mike back in the process. I roll my eyes in annoyance, and fight every urge I have not to shout at them.
"Hey!"
Mike finally snaps. "Stop it!"
They continue hitting each other and Hopper finally leans over and says quietly, in an irritated tone. "Do I make myself clear?"
I was the only one paying attention so based on his tired, lowered voice and his eyes on me, I could tell he was just talking to me at this point.
I shook my head. "Yes," I mutter.
He nodded his head at me in thanks. All the while, the boys were still bickering. Hopper's gaze landed on the boys, and he stood up and walked forward towards us. The way his tall frame towered over us was overwhelming, and enough to shut the boys up. In a deep, intimidating voice, he repeated his words, slowly.
"Do I make myself... clear?" The boys nod their heads in fear, their necks craning up to meet his eyes.
"Yes, sir."
"Yeah."
"Yes."
⊹ ⊹ ⊹
I've been laying in my bed, staring at the ceiling for about thirty minutes, give or take a few. I had managed to do all of my school work, including my project that wasn't due for another week and a half, read three books — granted, they were fairly short — and I was still left with nothing to do but worry about Will. The fact that I'm not allowed to help is driving me crazy, even though I keep trying to tell myself the adults are better equipped to deal with this stuff. My thoughts are interrupted by the crackling of the walkie-talkie that was sitting on my dresser. Since our mom couldn't afford two walkie-talkies, Dustin and I share one. I usually have it though so I can talk to Will.
The voice coming through sounded like Mike. Rather than getting my hopes up I just decided to stay put, staring at my ceiling, listening in.
"Lucas, do you copy? It's Mike. Lucas? Over."
"Hey, it's Lucas."
"I know it's you. And say 'over' when you're done talking so I know when you're done. Over." I roll my eyes and smile.
"I'm done. Over." I chuckle at this.
"I'm worried about Will. Over." My smile quickly falls.
I can hear Lucas sigh. "Yeah. This is crazy. Over."
"I was thinking..." Now I was really paying attention. "Will could've cast Protection last night, but he didn't. He cast fireball. Over." I sat up slowly, my eyebrows furrowed at the walkie.
"What's your point? Over."
"My point is... he could've played it safe, but he didn't. He put himself in danger to help the party. Over." A bittersweet smile flutters across my face briefly at this.
"Meet me in ten. Over and out."
'To hell with adults.' I tell myself. I leap off my bed and grab the walkie, knowing they'll still be able to hear me.
"Forgetting someone? Over."
"Y/n? Over." It was Mike.
"Don't worry, I'll let Dustin know. Over and out."
I retract the walkie before shoving it into my bag and heading for Dustin's room.
⊹ ⊹ ⊹
Once I had caught Dustin up on everything, the four of us had met up and we are now currently riding down Mirkwood. The thought of my best friend disappearing right here, exactly 24 hours ago was enough to give me chills.
"Ah, man. This is it." Lucas broke the silence as we approached the barrier closing off the path where his bike was supposedly found. We all came to a stop.
For a brief moment, the woods were lit up by lighting in the distance as thunder bellowed across the sky. Dustin looked up at the blanket of clouds above the trees, his voice shaking.
"Hey, guys. You feel that?" He was obviously referring to the rain that fell on his face. I roll my eyes. "I think maybe we should go back."
"No!" Mike and I said simultaneously.
"We're not going back. Just stay close." Mike and Lucas continued on into woods. I was eager to follow them but not without trying to reassure my brother.
"Dustin, he's right. Look, I know you're scared right now, okay? I'm scared too, but can you even imagine how scared Will must be? We have to do this. For Will." I didn't wait for a reply and ran to catch up with Mike and Lucas.
Knowing my brother, he would rather stay in a group than split up. Sure enough, he gave in.
"Hey, guys, wait up!" He said, dropping his bike. "Wait up!"
We started walking again, and as we did it I could feel the rain start to soak my neck and shoulders. I pulled my hood up over my head, turning on my flashlight and set off into the night, eager to find my friend.
⊹ ⊹ ⊹
The thunder rumbled, and as we ventured deeper into the forest I could feel the light drizzle of rain evolving into a steady downpour.
"WILL!"
"WILL!" I cried.
"Byers!" Lucas yelled.
Dustin tried a different approach. "I've got your X-Men 134!"
Our flashlights were hardly making a difference at this point. Dustin spoke up again. "Guys, I really think we should turn back."
"Seriously, Dustin?" Lucas exclaimed. "You wanna be a baby, then go home already!"
"I'm just being realistic Lucas!"
"No, you're just being a big sissy."
"Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad? And we're going to the exact same spot where he was last seen? And we have no weapons or anything?"
I start to slow down once I heard something in the bushes.
"Dustin, shut up." Mike spoke up.
'Okay, thankfully, Mike must have heard it too.'
"I'm just saying, does that seem smart to you?"
"Dustin!" I snap. "Zip it!"
Now the rustling was loud and clear.
"Did you guys hear that?" Mike asks.
I just shake my head, looking around for the source of the noise. The rustling is louder than ever and we all turn in the direction it came from. All our flashlights pointed in that direction. Then we heard it again. It was right behind us. We whipped around to find a girl, with a buzz cut, wearing nothing but 'Benny's Burgers' tee t-shirt. We all stood there, mouths agape at this girl, shivering and cowering in fear.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
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tastyykpop · 3 years
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𝐶𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒-Part 1
Pairings: yandere mafia leader!baekhyun x reader
Genre: suggestive, smut in later chapters, angst probs, fluff here and there but its very lowkey
《teaser next》
Warnings: kidnapping, drug use, alcohol consumption, baeks kinda crazy, pet names, master kink, spanking (he literally spanks her once), choking (not in a kinky way), mentions of blood and murder
Word count: 4.9k
Tag list: @wooya1224 @geniusloey tell me if you want to be tagged!!
⚠️ this is purely fictional and not how I imagine baekhyun to actually act. If you feel like you're in a situation like this please run and report it. I do not support this behavior.
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How long has it been? 3 or 5 days? Maybe even a week. You didnt know nor did you care. But why would you? You've gave up caring ever since your boyfriend, Sungho was murdered right in front of you, but you couldn't even see who the murderer was which drove you insane.
Tears and blood stained your pretty skin that night, so much agony and rage ran through your veins. All you wanted to do was curl up into a ball and scream until you passed out. But its been days since you've gotten a proper good night's sleep and it was eating you away ever so slowly. Everytime you closed your eyes, you remembered that dreadful day, Sungho's screams, the terror on his beautiful face, his lifeless bloody body. What did he do to deserve death? Why did it have to be him?
"Y/n! Y/n, its been four days please come out of your room!" It was the familiar voice of your mother and her knocking that brought you back to reality. She was almost begging, she hasn't seen you since you locked yourself away that night so you couldnt blame her for being worried, but you were fine. "I'm coming in."
She pushed your door open to see you cuddling your blanket with no emotion on your face. You looked at her with barely any care and rolled over, facing away from her.
She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, "You know y/n, we'll get to the bottom of this and have them put behind bars. It's gonna be ok-"
"No its not," you rasped from not using your voice in so long, "I dont even know what the murderer looked like, how can we put them behind bars!?" There was a small pause, she knew finding them wasnt likely which hurt you like hell, but she was still trying her best to comfort you.
"...At least come out of your room, everyone's worried." Your mother pleaded and though you really didnt want to move, you didnt want to upset or worry anyone any further so you got up.
With a smile, she did the same and led you downstairs to where you dad and sister were. They tensed when they saw you, but nonetheless smiled sadly, thanking the heavens you were okay.
"You look horrible..." your sister, Haeun, commented making you cringe. It wasnt like she was wrong, you spent four days not taking a shower and sitting in the same clothes so of course you looked bad, who wouldn't.
You excused yourself and went into the kitchen grabbing the first thing you saw, a bottle of vodka. Now it wasnt the best drink you could've had, but you decided to drink away your pain and suffering since you couldnt take the heart ache any longer.
"Shes doing it again." Your mother whispered but you heard her clear as day. "Shouldnt we stop her?"
"What for? She won't listen and she's traumatized. There's nothing much we could do right now." Your dad spoke with sadness watching as you took a quick swig from the substance.
Normally, you're not one to drink vodka but now it felt good, maybe too good. The more you drank it, the less pain you were in. It could last forever, you thought, but nothing lasts forever.
As you poured yourself another drink, you started wondering about Sungho again. If there were an afterlife, was he happy there? Would he be watching over you, making sure you were happy and healthy?If only it were that simple.
Though you and him were starting to drift off a bit, you still cared and loved him and now you're starting to take everything you guys went through for granted. Its what you get.
Standing up, you left the kitchen a bit dizzy from only drinking alcohol and having nothing else in your system and went back upstairs to take a shower. You decided after drinking, you wanted to go to the club you always go to. Normally, you didnt go on a Thursday, but you thought since you haven't been out in a while that it would be good to leave and breathe in the fresh air.
You took a fairly quick shower and your hair and makeup didnt take long either. Finally stopping to look at yourself in the mirror, your saw how pale and tired you were. Almost lifeless. You figured that once you finally have a good time, it would all go away and you'd be happy again.
"Where are you going?" You jumped at the voice of Haeun who appeared out of nowhere.
"To the club." You stated nonchalantly,
Haeun frowned, "Thats not a good idea, all you'll do is drink until you pass out. And there's always weirdos waiting for their turn with someone vulnerable like that."
A smile formed on your face trying to lighten up the mood a bit, "Ill be fine. I promise nothing bad will happen."
Haeun sighed, almost sounding like a bratty child who didn't get their way because she knew she wouldn't change your mind no matter how hard she tried. It sucked to have a stubborn sibling like yourself.
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Sehun rolled his eyes at the sight of Baekhyuns scheduled flirting session. The girl was dressed in barely anything and he could tell she was probably Baekhyuns new toy for the night as he started getting handsy with her. But Sehun could see how Baekhyuns eyes weren't always looking at her. Instead, they sometimes searched passed the girl in hopes to find something else. He knew what, actually who he was searching for so he never asked or mentioned it.
He remembered you perfectly. Your calm and sleeping figure laying peacefully on your boyfriends chest. It was a shame he had to wake you up while he killed the man. And it was a shame to see such a pretty girl cry and scream with such fright in her eyes.
But Sehun didn't feel that bad, he did what he was supposed to do with only a little remorse.
"Sehun," Baekhyun called, the younger lifted his head waiting for him to continue, "Are you sure you didn't hurt my little toy the other day?"
Sehun scoffed, "If I did, I'd be dead by now, hyung."
The man chuckled sadistically , "She hasn't been here in a while," Baekhyun looked up from the girl and turned to Sehun, "Its only safe to ask."
"Hyung, I told you before that shes probably scared." Sehun face palmed when Baekhyun glared at him.
"A little red shouldnt effect someone that bad."
"I kil-" Sehun stopped what he was about to say, forgetting about the girl straddling Baekhyuns lap and cleared his throat, "Shes not used to stuff like that, Baek."
He didn't care about what Sehun said and ignored the youngests pointless blabbering, returning his attention back the girl only for a short amount of time until something caught his attention.
You walked in his club with confidence and beauty not giving any staring man the time of day and took your usual seat at the bar. After ordering your drink, you put your head in your arms and Baekhyun grinned.
Now was his chance, there's no way anyone will get in his way and there was no way he'd let this chance go.
"Stay here." Baekhyun said to Sehun, pushing the girl off him as he stood up. She almost pulled him back but he gave her such a terrifying death glare that made her stop.
"Theres no way youre actually gonna go talk to her...right?" Sehun questioned a bit shocked that Baekhyun was actually going to you after so long.
"Of course I am, I'll be back." With that, Baekhyun walked away from the two with only one thing on his mind: you.
He waltzed with a smirk of pure evil. What would he do? Only God knew, but he couldnt help himself when he saw your pretty face.
All eyes watched Baekhyun stop next to you, astonished that he went to talk to a girl and not the other way around, "Excuse me sweetheart," You popped your head up in the direction Baekhyun spoke, he took a seat next to you with an almost comforting smile when he saw your red cheeks, "But are you okay."
You wanted to spill everything that happened so bad because you needed to get it out, but you didnt know the man and neither did he know you so all you could do was nod, "Im fine."
Baekhyun knew behind your lying eyes was someone in pain and searching for a person to hold, but he couldnt do anything just yet and tried loosening you up to him so he could do what he wanted to do in the first place.
"C'mon sweetheart, you can tell me anything." He smiled that charismatic smile of his, "I'm easy to talk to."
It was believable for the most part and you laughed a bit, the first laugh you actually had since that tragic night, "You seem like a sweet talker," you smirked causing Baekhyun to chuckle, "Whats the catch?"
"There is no catch, I just wanted to know if youre okay. And besides, I could tell you've been crying." He pointed to your tear stained cheeks and you mentally cursed yourself for unintentionally crying just a few moments ago.
"Oh.."
"Dont worry," He chuckled, "Whatever it is im sure you'll get over it." Baekhyun almost failed to hide his sinful smug as you frowned and covered it quickly with a swig of your drink.
But something inside was eating you away about what happened, you needed to let out your emotions and you started caring less and less that he was a stranger. Then again, what if you scared him away? What will happen next?
"At least tell me your name first," You blushed and shyly looked over at him who had an expecting glint in his eyes, "Then maybe ill tell you why I'm so upset."
Baekhyun stretched his hand out in front of him and you gently shook it. Damn he had a strong grip, "My names Byun Baekhyun and you?" He asked as if he didnt know who you were.
"Y/n L/n." You beamed, wondering why his name was so familiar. "So uh- my story..." Fumbling with the drink in your hands, you sighed heavily, "Long story short, my boyfriend was...murdered in front of me." You mumbled the last bit, but you didnt need to repeat yourself as Baekhyun already knew every single detail of that night thanks to Sehun.
Placing a soft hand on your shoulder he whispered with fake sympathy, "I understand now why you're so upset," Liar, "I feel terrible," No he doesn't.
He wiped a stray tear that had slipped down your cheeks and sent you a solemn look.
"I-its in the past i guess." You muttered, "I can't change a thing about it."
Damn right you couldnt. Even if there were some form of time travel, Baekhyun wouldn't dare let you try and change the past because that would mean you weren't entirely his. But since there isn't anything like that, Baekhyun has nothing to worry about except figuring out how to bring you back with him.
"Would you like a glass of water, y/n?" Baekhyun asked quickly as a thought popped into his head. You nodded your head slowly and Baekhyun called over the bartender. You werent really paying attention to him ordering the water and just let your mind slip to the sound of the music and looked around the room, tapping your fingers to the beat, but you stopped when you felt a pair of sharp eyes watching you from somewhere. You looked here and there before stopping on a man that was a about a few inches taller than Baekhyun. He had a eerie grin on his face when you noticed him, then he winked.
Chills went down your spine and you spun yourself around in your chair facing forwards causing Baekhyun to raise an eyebrow but he didnt question it.
"Heres the water." He handed the drink over and you thanked him before taking a sip. It tasted a bit weird but not all water tasted the same, though it was slightly dry for water.
"So tell me about yourself, y/n." Baekhyun checked his watch, all he needed was fifteen minutes then you were all his. "You seem like an interesting person." He looked up and smiled.
"Well," You thought about what was possibly interesting enough to tell him, "Im in my second year of college!" A smile crossed your lips.
"Oh really? Where do you go?" Baekhyun did seem interested to know some parts of your life. Somehow, you caught his attention like that. Thats why Sehun was a surprised when he finally made his move with you.
"Seoul of Performing Arts." You beamed. It was the happiest moment in your life when you got accepted and all of your family members, extended and close, celebrated your acceptance, "My boyfriend, Sungho, went there too."
He just about rolled his eyes but replaced it with a nod and a fake warm smile. If you knew him better, you'd know that smile was only him clenching his jaw in anger.
"How cute." The glint in his eyes proved he was lying and maybe you were too stupid or innocent to notice when you took another sip of water.
He watched and wished his plan could go faster, he was excited to have fun with his pretty little toy and he couldnt wait any longer.
"What about you?" You raised a brow. There was still something in your gut that made you feel like you knew him. And you still wondered why. Was he someone famous in the city? Maybe you've heard your friends mention him here and there? What was it about him that was so familiar?
"You'll know soon enough kitten." You frowned at the pet name as he pat your head like you were a small child yet you chose to ignore it.
It was a bit outlandish and made you more skeptical to know who he was.
"Thats not very reassuring, Baekhyun." Your quirked.
"Why tell you when I can just show you?" He leaned in, mocking your now pouty lips and chuckled, "The drugs should be setting in by now."
You lifted your head up with wide eyes, "Wait what?" Did you hear him right? Did he say what you thought he said? "What do you mean drugs!?" You said with awestruck as your heart raced in fear. You hoped to god he was just joking
The man before you smirked that unpleasant smirk of his, almost like the guy you saw before and you started panicking more, knowing he wasn't kidding. You tried to get up and run but you felt so woozy in a matter of seconds. Not to mention the sudden pain in your stomach that made you want to throw up. What was Baekhyuns plan? Why did he do this!? You thought at least one thing could go right tonight and maybe you could have fun, but you were wrong. So so wrong.
Trying to leave the club building, you knew you wouldn't make it but you still wanted to attempt an escape. It didn't have to be like this. Each step made it harder to move and your eyes started drooping. It was too late for you.
Already collapsed on the ground, people gasped and stared at your almost lifeless body as Baekhyun tilted his head to the side, "She tried, ill give her that." He walked over and crouched down next to you, moving the hair out of your pale face, "But not hard enough."
In an instant, your body was thrown over the man's shoulder. No one commented on anything that happened in fear that they could be next. It was impossible to say that they felt bad either, they were just glad it didn't happen to themselves.
"Sehun," He called out to the younger male but Sehun was already ahead of him, "You drive." He tossed him the keys.
With a nod they both walked out, you on Baekyuns shoulder as he took you to the expensive car. Gently, he placed you down in backseat, putting your seatbelt on for you, and climbed in on the other side to sit next to you.
"All this just for a girl." Sehun shook his head but needless to say he still smirked, "Youre loosing yourself, hyung." The car sparked and drove off into the night, no cops came searching. They knew better. And neither was there news of your kidnapping, the city stayed quiet.
Sure once your parents realized you were gone they'd start freaking out, but would they dare mess with Baekhyun? Would anyone actually try to mess with him? The mafia could easily answer that with an optimistic no. Remember, Baekhyun had power. No one is going to stop him.
"How long will she be out for?" Sehun asked.
Baekhyun shrugged, "Like an hour or two." He was excited for your life with him now, he knew you were finally his after a year of watching you come and go in his club, plus the small stalking he did when he wanted to see you, and he could only smile. No one can get in between him and your love anymore. "Shes gonna love it when she gets home!"
Sehun chuckled at Baekhyuns almost child like enthusiam and started, "She seems a bit innocent," he paused, looking back at your passed out body in the mirror before returning back to the road, "Normally women don't look off into space when someone's buying them a drink."
"Maybe she's a bit slow, but she wouldn't be here with me if that didn't happen."
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The candle flickered in the dark as you awoke on a strange bed. You're head was pounding a bit as you tried looking around at your unfamiliar surroundings. What happened? Was your first thought and you started questioning where you were too. You knew something wasn't right but you couldn't understand why.
You tried getting up only to be locked in place by restraints on your wrists. They were only silk but they were tied tight enough to keep you still. Tilting your head in confusion, you heard foot steps coming towards the door and stopping for a mere few seconds before the door handle twisted.
You anticipated what was going to happen, you didnt even know what was going on in the first place, but you remembered the man standing in front of you.
"B-Baekhyun..?"
"Hey, kitten." That sinister smile was plastered on his face. You were sure it held more meanings then just one.
"Where a-am i?"
He almost cooed at your curiosity but composed himself, "At my mansion, where you'll be staying from now on."
There was a moment where you had to think, interestingly enough what Baekhyun said didnt even frighten you in the slightest, but then again you were high off the drug.
"C-Can you u-untie my hands please?" Your voice was soft and quiet, Baekhyun noticed you werent fully aware of your surroundings and complied, untying the silk from your wrists.
Your eyes were a little dilated when you looked at him. He was gorgeous, you had to give him that, though you wanted to remember why something wasn't sitting right with him. "Baekhyun?"
He looked up with a hum.
"Who...are y-you to me?" You squinted your eyes at the man who sat on the bed next to you, drawing small shapes on your thigh in a sort of loving manner.
"Your boyfriend, y/n."
Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend?
"I have a boyfriend..?" You muttered and asked more to yourself than to him, but he snickered, knowing way more than you did.
"Kitten you drank too much, go back to sleep." He lied and pushed your shoulders down so you were flat against the mattress.
"I-i did?" You whined when Baekhyun kissed your cheek. He always wanted to kiss more than your cheek, he couldnt bring himself to do that unless you were fully conscious for him.
"Yes baby girl, so get some sleep."
You grumbled, "I-Im not t-tired."
Baekhyun sighed, "Then what would the pretty girl like to do?"
You perked up on the mattress and grinned, "Im hungry!"
"Youre hungry?" Baekhyun repeated with a smile at your small childlike energy and you nodded back, "I can ask someone to make you something if you'd like."
"Please!"
He stood up, waiting for you to do the same but since you weren't very awake, you stumbled a bit.
Baekhyun settled with carrying you to the mansions kitchen, awing at your cuteness the whole time. It was a bit of a walk but luckily you were light.
Sitting you down, Baekhyun walked off, finding someone to cook for you. In your state, you felt a bit lonely, only knowing Baekhyun and not your surroundings, it made you feel a bit lost. It shocked you too how you didnt remember Baekhyun being your boyfriend, you started question the relationship between the two of you more.
"Princess i got you your favorite dish!" He walked in with a plate of jjajangmyeon and set it down in front of you.
Your mouth was watering and you were ready to dig in before wondering, "H-How do you know m-my favorite dish?"
Baekhyun hesitated at the question before clearing his throat and spoke with a raised brow, "We're dating y/n, why wouldn't I know what you like?"
"Uh yeah..right...." you dug in, your mind was starting to clear up a bit, not enough for you to fully remember anything though. But the more you thought, the more consciousness you regained.
Baekhyun watched as you gobbled down the meal with full satisfaction. This wouldn't be the first time he's watched you and neither would it be the last. He liked knowing you were eating well and were healthy so he was proud.
"I-im done!"
"Good girl. Now wait for me to come back so we can go to bed, okay?" You nodded and sat patiently as he took your plate and waited for your boyfriend to come back.
A few moments later, Baekhyun still was no where to be seen and your mind was slowly coming back, "N-no...wait." mumbling to yourself, you figured it out in just mere seconds and remembered that your boyfriend was brutally murdered four days ago in front of you. After four days you went to the bar to drink away the anguish and met someone, that someone was Byun Baekhyun. After thirty or so minutes of talking to him, you were drugged when you werent paying attention and passed out minutes later. Now you were here at Baekhyuns mansion, lied to and kidnapped. "Oh fuck."
The chair scraped against the floor and you wasted no time running to your hopeful freedom.
But you weren't a lucky person. Oh no you weren't. You were tossed and pushed against the door you were about to open by someone much bigger. He was the same guy you saw at the bar and his smirk was nothing different. Cynical and frightening.
The man stepped closer to you before putting one hand next to your head and whispered, "Are you playing a cat and mouse game with hyung now? How cute." Standing tall, he grabbed you by the hair and dragged you back to where you came. You groaned and tried fighting back, but there was no use, he wasn't going to let go until after he practically threw you into Baekhyuns arms.
You were about to scream at Baekhyun and the no name man until Baekhyun covered your mouth with his hand, "Say something and you'll regret it." He growled into your ear as you shook and fought.
You hummed against him and tried biting his hand and punching his side, but he was like a man of steel and let it happen, only raising his brow like he wanted to hurt you, but didnt.
"Sehun, tell Chanyeol to lock all the doors for the next week or so 'til she learns how to behave."
The man nodded and ran off leaving you two alone. Fear was one way to describe it and the look Baekhyun gave you didnt help.
"Now kitten why would you go and do some shit like that? Are you asking to be punished?" He took his hand off your mouth to let you speak. Baekhyuns aura was much different than earlier. The nice guy was gone and you were left with a man who could kill you with just one look.
You stopped hitting him and screamed viciously, "Fuck you! You're fucking insane!"
"Now now princess," he pressed a hand to your throat, wrapping it tighter and tighter until you felt the oxygen leave your lungs, "It seems as if you're asking for a punishment."
"I-if you...s-so dare to-touch..any other p-part of my body, i-ill....kill you..." You whimpered, grabbing his wrist in attempts to pull him off but Baekhyun was relentless, keeping his grasp tight and painful.
"Stop struggling, you're only making this harder for yourself."
There were two options now, either listen to Baekhyun or fight until you passed out again.
"Princess." His voice held a warning tone and you hesitantly stopped and moments later he loosened his grip, you knew there would be marks by tomorrow, "We are going to bed now. Don't try to run, I have this place guarded up and if you do somehow make it out, be prepared because I will find you and beat your ass until you can't sit for a month. Understand?"
Your stomach did flips and not in a good way, you were scared, "Y-yes."
"Can you say 'yes master'?" His voice went higher as he said the last part to mimic yours.
You sighed, positive if you didnt comply then you'd be here all night, "Yes m-master..."
"Good girl." He kissed your cheek and you almost smacked him in disgust but tried not to act aggressive towards him. You wanted to leave, not be punished by whatever he had in mind. "Call me that from now on."
Baekhyun grabbed your hand and led you to the room you were just in, now that you took a good look, it was a pretty room. There was a red sofa against the wall and some other matching chairs plus a huge flat screen TV hanging on the wall facing the bed. You had to admit, he had good taste but he was still insane.
As you sat down on the bed, Baekhyun reached into his draw to pull out a t-shirt and handed it to you with a wide smile, but you raised a brow at the fabric.
"No pants?" You asked.
Baekhyun chuckled, "What for?"
"Because of creeps like you." You grumbled and snatched the shirt that dangled in front of your face before storming off into the connected bathroom. Inside, you could hear Baekhyuns annoying laugh and ignored it, changing into the surprisingly very oversized shirt that went down to your mid thigh.
Taking the clothes you wore earlier, you went back into the room where Baekhyun laid peacefully on the bed, waiting for you.
He only had his boxers on which made you groan in anger and decided to not lay on the bed and instead on the couch near it.
"Princess, what are you doing?" He perched himself on his elbows, watching you throw your clothes on the ground then take the folded blanket on the couch and wrap yourself with it as you laid down.
"Going to sleep, master." You stated coldly with a glare.
Baekhyun rolled his eyes, "Get over here." He said, voice low and laced with dominance but you remained still, closing your eyes and pretending as if you were asleep. "Y/n." He warned but there was no reply.
"Thats it." You heard him get up and march to where you laid. Baekhyun picked you up and you yelped at the sudden intrusion and were thrown over his shoulder.
Smacking his back got you nowhere as he threw you down on the bed, pinning both your hands down and hovered over you with a killing look, "Next time you don't listen, ill bend you over my knee."
"Youre all talk, no action." In an instant you were flipped over and a hand landed straight on your bare ass, leaving you shocked and mouth agape.
"Are you sure, kitten? Would you like me to spank you again?"
"N-no."
"No what?"
"N-no master.."
Baekhyun slowly let you go and laid beside you, still a bit irrated. "Now go to sleep."
You couldnt. Not with the lingering fear of what could happen next. Plus, not with his arm wrapped around your waist with a somewhat tight hold. You were just too scared to let your gaurd down. Why shouldn't you be scared though? What if he took advantage of your sleeping body and did something terrible.
There was no way you could get rest now. You could now count this as your fifth day without proper sleep.
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